Sunday’s Serie A program wraps up with a high-stakes clash between Napoli and Bologna at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. We’re only two weeks into the new season, and the three-time Italian champions are already under tremendous pressure.
New Napoli manager Antonio Conte failed to evaporate painful memories of one of the worst title-defending campaigns in Serie A history on his touchline debut last weekend. Au contraire, Napoli’s humiliating 3-0 loss at Hellas Verona only fueled concerns about the team’s ability to bounce back this season.
Napoli finished last season in tenth, a whopping 41 points adrift of champions Inter. Expectations were high ahead of Conte’s return to Serie A, only for Verona to humble the Partenopei, deepening the wounds from last year’s fiasco. The fact that the Gialloblu finished three points clear of the bottom three in 2023/24 added to Napoli fans’ growing frustration.
Bologna’s upcoming visit to Naples is another source of skepticism. Despite failing to win in his first managerial appearance for the Rossoblu, new boss Vincenzo Italiano oversaw a telling performance from his side in their day-one encounter against Udinese.
Italiano could’ve considered himself unlucky not to take three points as his team failed to convert an eye-catching 74% possession and 22 goal attempts in a 1-1 draw against the Friulians. However, if Bologna can replicate that showing against Napoli, there’s a feeling they will leave the city with three points.
Match Preview
Napoli
Following a nightmarish Serie A debut in charge of Napoli, Conte’s top assignment is to rebuild their home fortress. The Partenopei frustratingly won only one-third of their fixtures on home turf when graded as favorites (W6, D7, L5) last term.
That underwhelming record includes a 2-0 defeat to upcoming rivals Bologna in their penultimate home game of the 2023/24 season. On that basis, the Napoli faithful would be forgiven for feeling an inevitable sense of trepidation about their side’s chances in this clash.
On a rare positive note, Napoli had won three consecutive home league matches against Bologna before last season’s disappointment, netting precisely three goals on each occasion. It’s hard to expect the Partenopei to put on another free-scoring performance without a top-class striker.
While waiting to address Victor Osimhen’s future, Napoli are close to completing their long-standing pursuit of Chelsea flop Romelu Lukaku. But for now, Conte must rely on the players at his current disposal.
Bologna
With a long-awaited European return on the horizon, Bologna’s top priority is to amass as many points as possible before the new Champions League season kicks off in September. Therefore, the abovementioned draw against Udinese fell short of the club’s expectations.
A much sterner task awaits Bologna this weekend. However, they can take confidence from going from strength to strength on their Serie A travels last season. Italiano’s side boasted a near-unbeaten away record as pre-match underdogs in 2023/24 (W4, D6).
From Bologna’s standpoint, these are all encouraging signs. Yet, neutrals may not be as enthusiastic about this clash as the traveling supporters. That’s because nine of Bologna’s last 12 league outings have featured under 2.5 goals, highlighting the potential for a low-scoring contest.
Team News
Except for Osimhen, who’s still out of the squad amid the uncertainty surrounding his future, Conte can call upon the rest of his Napoli roster for this clash. There’s a chance David Neres could make his first Serie A appearance after completing his €30m arrival from Benfica.
As for Bologna, long-term absentees Jhon Lucumi and Lewis Ferguson are still on the sidelines. After a late cameo appearance against Udinese, top offensive signing Thijs Dallinga could dislodge Santiago Castro from the starting line-up this weekend.
Napoli vs Bologna Potential Line-ups
Napoli (3-4-3): Alex Meret; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Juan Jesus; Pasquale Mazzocchi, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Leonardo Spinazzola; David Neres, Giovanni Simeone, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Lukasz Skorupski; Stefan Posch, Martin Erlic, Sam Beukema, Charalampos Lykogiannis; Remo Freuler, Nikola Moro; Riccardo Orsolini, Giovanni Fabbian, Dan Ndoye; Thijs Dallinga.
Napoli vs Bologna Prediction
Scoring has been a glaring issue for Napoli in Conte’s first two games in charge. Before being swept away by Verona, the Partenopei needed penalties to oust second-tier Modena from the Coppa Italia following a 0-0 draw in regulation.
Bologna’s decent-looking backline could take advantage of Napoli’s scoring woes to pour more misery on Conte’s troops as we back the visitors to claim three points at the Maradona.
Prediction: Bologna to Win
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