Stadio Luigi Ferraris forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Serie A encounter between relegation-threatened Sampdoria and Scudetto hopefuls Napoli on Sunday evening.
It’s fair to say the World Cup pause couldn’t have been time any better as far as Dejan Stankovic’s men were concerned, giving them a lengthy spell to rally their troops following a woeful four-game losing streak.
Faced with the risk of posting the club’s longest losing run in the top-flight in over a decade, La Samp, inspired by two unanswered first-half goals, toppled Sassuolo 2-0 upon the Serie A return on Wednesday.
Having moved within five points of the dotted line, Sampdoria will have another powerful motive to thrive this weekend as they pay tribute to the club legend Gianluca Vialli, who sadly passed away on Friday.
Unfortunately for the hosts, they couldn’t have asked for a sterner test on the day they’re supposed to show their gratitude to one of the most iconic Italian players as they’re about to take on pacesetters Napoli.
Severely wounded by a 1-0 defeat at Inter on Wednesday, Luciano Spalletti’s men can already feel defending champions Milan breathing down their necks, with only five points now separating the two sides.
Napoli’s 30-year wait for the Scudetto was seemingly on the course of ending this season following their outrageous 15-game league start (W13, D2), but they’re no longer comfortable at the top of the tree.
Preview
Sampdoria
Sampdoria’s hopes of fashioning a Serie A comeback in the second half of the season were off to a flying start at Mapei. However, there’s still plenty to do if they’re to avoid relegation for the first time since their fateful 2012/13 top-flight campaign.
Stankovic’s men come into proceedings riding on a club-worst five-game losing Serie A streak at home. On top of that, they’re one of only two sides in the league yet to win a single home game in 2022/23 (D2, L5).
If the two first-half goals at Sassuolo were signs of things to come, La Samp fans could finally be in for a treat after witnessing their team score a meager two goals in their first eight home league outings.
Napoli
Knocked down from a near-perfect top-flight start by Inter, Napoli must be relishing their chances of returning to winning ways in no time after beating Sampdoria in their last seven Serie A clashes.
As the division’s most prolific side with 37 goals, the Partenopei will be confident of adding to their tally at Ferraris as they’ve netted a staggering 47 goals in their last 18 matches against Sampdoria at an average of 2.6 per game.
Napoli have been flourishing in Serie A showdowns as pre-match favorites this season, racking up 12 victories and two draws from 14 such contests. Moreover, they’ve won their last two league visits to Sampdoria by 2+ goals ‘to nil.’
Team News
Sampdoria boss Stakovic faces a nightmare ahead of this fixture, with a number of his first-team stars either injured or lacking match fitness.
Andrea Conti, Omar Colley, Harry Winks, and Fabio Quagliarella are in the treatment room. Abdelhamid Sabiri has yet to reach an optimal fitness level following his World Cup exploits with Morocco.
Former Partenopei forward Manolo Gabbiadini has had his hand in 37.5% of his team’s Serie A goals this season. So Spalletti should know where the danger lies.
Unlike their hosts, Napoli managed to stay injury free during the break, but their trip to Giuseppe Meazza in midweek Serie A action cost them dearly, not just in terms of points.
Standout winger Khivcha Kvaratskhelia picked up an injury against Inter and will have to skip his team’s trip to Ferraris, leaving top-scorer Victor Osimhen very much on his own.
Sampdoria vs Napoli Potential Lineps
Sampdoria (3-4-1-2): Emil Audero; Bram Nuytinck, Bartosz Bereszynski, Bruno Amione; Tommaso Augello, Ronaldo Vieira, Tomas Rincon, Mehdi Leris; Filip Djuricic; Manolo Gabbiadini, Sam Lammers.
Napoli (4-3-3): Alex Meret; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Kim Min-jae, Juan Jesus, Mario Rui; Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Piotr Zielinski, Stanislav Lobotka; Matteo Politano, Hirving Lozano, Victor Osimhen.
Sampdoria vs Napoli Prediction
It is the top against the bottom parts of the Serie A standings, but Sampdoria’s display at Sassuolo may have announced their possible resurgence in 2023.
Stankovic’s side will have to prove it wasn’t just a one-off against one of the most formidable opponents out there as we back them to throw more spanners in Napoli’s title pursuit.
While it’s hard to envisage Sampdoria’s triumph, we wouldn’t be surprised if the hosts hold Spalletti’s team winless.
Prediction: Draw
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