A top-table Serie A six-pointer pits leaders Napoli and runners-up Juventus against each other at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Friday’s encounter in southern Italy will have a substantial bearing on the Scudetto race this season, with seven points separating the sides ahead of the kick-off.
Napoli got their title push back on track following a 1-0 derby defeat at Inter in their opening Serie A fixture of 2023, dispatching a ten-man Sampdoria 2-0 last time out. Victor Osimhen and Elif Elmas were on the scoresheet in Genoa to help the Partenopei preserve their lead at the top.
Though Luciano Spalletti’s men head into proceedings as the so-called ‘Winter Champions,’ they are all too aware that their battle to land the crown for the first time since 1990 has only reached the halfway point.
In fact, the last two times they were atop the Serie A standings midway through the season, Juventus pipped them to the title, doing so in 2015/16 and 2017/18. Not long ago, Massimiliano Allegri’s men had no right to dream of pulling off a similar achievement, but things have drastically changed.
Federico Chiesa delivered a pinpoint assist to Danilo, who tapped into an empty net in the 85th minute to hand the Bianconeri a slender 1-0 home victory over Udinese last weekend. Inspired by an outrageous run of eight consecutive league wins without conceding, the visitors will take the Maradona field in a buoyant mood.
Preview
Napoli
Stadio Diego Armando Maradona has been an impregnable fortress this season, with Napoli clocking up seven wins and a draw across their opening eight Serie A home outings. Indeed, since an underwhelming 1-1 stalemate with promoted Lecce in late August, Spalletti’s lads have won nine straight home fixtures, all competitions included.
Firing on all cylinders, Napoli netted at least three goals seven times during that nine-game sequence, which is very much in line with their free-flowing attacking form this term. Delivering action from the get-go, they’ve notched up a league-high 12 first-half goals at home in 2022/23, highlighting the potential for a quick-fire start.
Player to Watch: Victor Osimhen
Following a scoring blank at Giuseppe Meazza, Osimhen became the first player to hit a ten-goal landmark in the 2022/23 Serie A season at Sampdoria. The Nigerian striker could be an early menace for Juventus’ backline, with five of his last six league goals coming before the 25th minute.
Juventus
Amends for a 2-1 defeat in this corresponding fixture last season could be a strong motive for Juventus as they stare down the barrel of a three-match winless H2H run against Napoli for the first time since 2011. But the visitors’ recent away form suggests they are in a prime position to avoid that scenario.
Having gone winless on their first four Serie A travels in 2022/23 (D2, L2), Allegri’s men have won their last four away league games via an identical score of 1-0. But there’s a downside. Juventus’ hope of taking three points away from Napoli will heavily rely on their defense. That’s mainly thanks to their sub-par average of 0.62 goals per Serie A away fixture.
Player to Watch: Federico Chiesa
Chiesa could make his first Serie A start in almost a year after leaving a long-term knee injury firmly behind. The winger’s last league goal came against non-other than Napoli, dating back to January 2022. With Arkadiusz Milik and Moise Kean struggling with inconsistent performances, the Italian’s brilliance will be a welcoming boost.
Team News
Since Khvicha Kvaratskhelia downplayed fears over his fitness status by starting at Sampdoria, Napoli boss Spalletti will have his entire squad fit and ready. Worryingly, though, the Georgian forward has been faceless in 2023, so now would be a perfect time to get back in the saddle.
On the other hand, Juventus will take this trip without numerous first-half stars. Leonardo Bonucci, Gleison Bremer, Paul Pogba, Juan Cuadrado, Mattia De Sciglio, and Dusan Vlahovic are unavailable for selection due to injury. It leaves Allegri with bare bones for this must-win showdown.
Napoli vs Juventus Potential Lineups
Napoli (4-3-3): Alex Meret; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Kim Min-jae, Juan Jesus, Mario Rui; Stanislav Lobotka, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Piotr Zielinski; Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Matteo Politano, Victor Osimhen.
Juventus (3-5-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Danilo, Daniele Rugani, Alex Sandro; Filip Kostic, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Weston McKennie, Federico Chiesa; Angel Di Maria, Arkadiusz Milik.
Napoli vs Juventus Prediction
Given the current standings, Napoli may settle for a draw, though a potential victory could put their Scudetto hopes beyond doubt. However, based on their outstanding home form this season, it’s more likely that they’ll push for three points.
Meanwhile, Juventus have proved their capacity to flourish in evenly-contested, low-scoring affairs, as witnessed by their abovementioned away run. A quick look at Napoli’s scoring exploits indicates this won’t be a drab contest, meaning the visitors’ prospects are bleak.
Prediction: Napoli Win
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