Serie A Matchday 7 commences on Friday at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as Napoli and Como go head-to-head in their first-ever top-flight meeting. Both teams come into this round in high spirits after hitting a purple patch in the second half of September.
In all fairness, Napoli’s purple patch is more long-standing. Since a dismal 3-0 defeat at Hellas Verona on the opening Serie A weekend, Antonio Conte has hit the ground running in Naples, masterminding a promising six-game unbeaten streak in all domestic competitions (W5, D1).
A quick-fire first-half double from Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia inspired Napoli to a comfortable 2-0 home triumph against Monza last weekend. That win guided the Partenopei to the top of the Serie A standings at the end of the previous round for the first time in 483 days.
Before that, Napoli steamrolled past second-tier Palermo in Coppa Italia action on this ground, picking up a landslide 5-0 victory. Therefore, Conte’s men must be confident ahead of Como’s journey south, though the visitors boast their own rich vein of form.
Unfazed by a gut-wrenching 2-2 home draw against Bologna in mid-September, Cesc Fabregas’ charges have got off the mark in Serie A with back-to-back 3-2 wins against Atalanta and Verona. Patrick Cutrone’s strikes on either side of halftime propelled the Lariani to their first home league victory against the Gialloblu last time out.
However, a win against Atalanta on their last Serie A travel could prove a turning point for Como. They overturned a halftime deficit to take three points in Bergamo, showing they can cope with the division’s elite.
Match Preview
Napoli
Optimism is back in Naples following a humiliating title-defending campaign in 2023/24. Conte has built Napoli’s renaissance on a formidable home record, with the Partenopei winning all five competitive outings at the Maradona Stadium this season.
They’ve impressively mustered 12 goals in the last four, prevailing via multi-goal margins on three occasions. Equally superb at the back, Napoli boast four clean sheets after the opening six Serie A rounds, as many as across their previous 31 league fixtures.
More good omens follow Napoli into this contest. Last weekend’s shutout against Monza made it three consecutive top-flight clean sheets for the first time since February 2023 when they were on their way to the Scudetto, testifying to Conte’s excellent work at the club.
Conte has quickly instilled his ‘never give up’ mentality at Napoli. A league-high four goals scored beyond the 75th minute perhaps best illustrate the team’s resilience and determination to fight until the final whistle.
Como
In contrast to Napoli’s newfound prolificacy in the later stages of play, Como have been prone to sorrowful endings, conceding a league-high five goals in that same timeframe. It suffices to say they’ve capitulated in second-half stoppages in three straight league outings ahead of this trip.
Despite those late setbacks, Fabregas’ team ended last weekend in the upper half of the Serie A table (W2, D2, L2). Their indifferent league form perhaps doesn’t tell the whole story. Forced to travel a lot in the early proceedings, Como gear up for their sixth competitive road trip this term.
Except for the abovementioned triumph at the Gewiss Stadium, they’ve gone winless on the remaining four (D1, L3), largely thanks to their underwhelming first-half showings. Indeed, Como conceded a first-half opener in all those five matches, trailing ‘to nil’ at the break in four.
Given Napoli’s scintillating form under Conte, another sluggish start could be the visitors’ undoing on Friday.
Team News
First-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret is still out due to injury, while Mario Rui remains frozen out of the squad. Second-string midfielder Michael Folorunsho is the only doubt in the Napoli roster due to a minor fitness issue.
As for Como, Federico Barba and Alberto Cerri are the only missing players in the traveling camp. Fabregas will likely rely on Nico Paz and Sergi Roberto in the engine room, with Cutrone leading the attack ahead of Andrea Belotti.
Napoli vs Como Potential Line-ups
Napoli (4-3-3): Elia Caprile; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Alessandro Buongiorno, Mathias Olivera; Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Scott McTominay; Matteo Politano, Romelu Lukaku, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Como (4-2-3-1): Emil Audero; Ignace Van Der Brempt, Marc-Oliver Kempf, Alberto Dossena, Alberto Moreno; Perrone, Sergi Roberto; Gabriel Strefezza, Nico Paz, Alieu Fadera; Patrick Cutrone.
Napoli vs Como Prediction
Despite Napoli’s newly-discovered defensive solidity, it’s hard to put it past Como to find the net, given the visitors’ free-scoring league form this season.
However, Napoli should still outgun Fabregas’ side and post an all-important victory ahead of October’s international break.
Prediction: Napoli to Win
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