Sunday’s Serie A program caps off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as Napoli and Juventus trade tackles in a mouth-watering encounter. Room for error has narrowed for the home side amidst one of the worst Scudetto-defending campaigns in history.
From a fog of misery and uncertainty, Napoli emerged victorious from their midweek Serie A assignment. The reigning holders overhauled an early deficit to demolish relegation-threatened Sassuolo 6-1. Victor Osimhen grabbed the headlines in new manager Francesco Calzona, netting his first hat-trick of 2023/24.
Osimhen’s ‘partner in crime,’ Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, chipped in with a brace to seal Partenopei’s first league triumph since the start of February. But plenty has changed in the southern city since January 2023 when they humbled Juventus 5-1 at home in their joint-biggest margin victory against the record-time Italian champions.
That win helped them on their way to their first Scudetto since the glory days of Maradona. Fast forward a year, they languish in mid-table mediocrity, eight points adrift of the last Champions League qualification place. Unlike Napoli, Juventus’ bid to return to Europe’s top table remains firmly on course following a last-gasp 3-2 home win against Frosinone.
Dusan Vlahovic maintained his talismanic form in 2024, netting a first-half brace as Massimiliano Allegri’s side recovered from a four-match winless run in Serie A (D2, L2). Eleven points clear of fifth-placed Atalanta, the Turin giants have built a healthy buffer in second. But that doesn’t mean they’re not hungry for revenge.
Match Preview
Napoli
Napoli can’t afford any more slip-ups if they’re to return in contention for a top-four finish. And while their overall home league record this season can’t inspire much confidence (W5, D3, L4), their recent form at the Maradona Stadium does look promising.
They’ve stitched together five home league outings without defeat (W3, D2) since a 3-0 demolition at the hands of runaway leaders Inter in early December. Interestingly, all three victories in that sequence yielded an identical 2-1 scoreline, with two seeing Napoli come back from a deficit.
It’s worth noting that Calzona’s men have developed a cautious approach in the opening stages, leading to their last three home league games featuring a goalless first half.
Juventus
Juventus should deal with Napoli’s apathetic starts with ease after scoring inside the opening 30 minutes in their last two Serie A fixtures (W1, D1). Daniele Rugani’s stoppage-time winner against Frosinone confirmed Allegri’s men are equally well-versed in furious endings.
Rugani’s late heroics contributed to a piece of history the Allianz Stadium faithful witnessed last weekend. Allegri became the first-ever coach in Serie A to hit a 1,000-point landmark, reinforcing his hopes of avenging last season’s fiasco in Naples.
Allegri can substantiate his bid with Juventus’ formidable traveling record, with only Inter (35) picking up more away points than Bianconeri (27) this term. Yet back-to-back winless away league outings (D1, L1) suggest the visitors must keep their feet firmly on the ground.
Team News
Napoli can’t call upon winter arrival Cyril Ngonge due to a muscle injury, while Jens Cajuste is still recovering from his own muscular problem. But the rest of Calzona’s squad is ready for this blockbuster contest, including free-firing Osimhen, who has bagged five goals in three matches since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Juventus’ situation is far more complicated. Mattia De Sciglio, Mattia Perin, Moise Kean, and Weston McKennie are injured. Nicolo Fagioli is still out with suspension, while Paul Pogba’s future hangs in the balance after receiving a four-year ban for doping. Question marks are still hovering over the heads of Adrien Rabiot and Danilo.
Napoli vs Juventus Potential Lineups
Napoli (4-3-3): Alex Meret; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Mathias Olivera; Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Piotr Zielinski; Matteo Politano, Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Juventus (3-5-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer, Danilo; Andrea Cambiaso, Fabio Miretti, Manuel Locatelli, Carlos Alcaraz, Filip Kostic; Federico Chiesa, Dusan Vlahovic.
Napoli vs Juventus Prediction
Though just one of the last 11 league encounters between Napoli and Juventus has ended level, we believe another share of the spoils could be on the cards. Despite rediscovering their rhythm in midweek, it’s hard to imagine Partenopei toppling Allegri’s charges, especially with Vlahovic in red-hot form.
Prediction: Draw
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