Prediction: Napoli vs Juventus

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 9/4

Bookmaker: William Hill

While the rest of the European leagues may be a few games behind the Premier League, we’re still getting down to the business end of the season. Over in Italy, it seems obvious to suggest that Juventus are going to win the Serie A title once again, as they find themselves unbeaten and 13 points clear of their nearest challengers. Those challengers are officially known as Napoli, and while they may be the underdogs in this race, they’ll certainly be giving it everything they’ve got when the two sides meet this weekend.

Napoli

Napoli have been playing the role of ‘second best’ for a while now, and it seems like that trend is set to continue throughout the remainder of this season. Still, if there’s even the slightest chance of them pulling this back and making the title race interesting again, they should take it with both hands. They’ve got a good foundation to build on for the future and if they’re able to make Juve work for the result at the weekend, then they’ll start to be viewed as serious contenders once again.

Team News

Raul Albiol is currently out with an injury, but aside from that, Napoli will field their strongest possible starting XI in the hope of keeping this race alive.

Juventus

With defeats in two different competitions in recent weeks, some fans have already started to compare this season to Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ campaign from the early noughties. It still seems like they’re going to walk their way towards another league title, but there are definitely still things that need to be worked on if they want to dominate Europe as much as their recent acquisitions would suggest. They’re still one of the best teams in world football, but perhaps they aren’t as good as people once thought.

Team News

Cristiano Ronaldo’s ankle is set to be assessed prior to the game, which is the only major concern for the league leaders heading into the weekend.

Factors to Consider

• The game will be played at Napoli’s San Paolo.
• Napoli have won four and drawn two of their last six games.
• Juventus have won three, drawn one and lost two of their last six games.
• Napoli have scored 12 goals and conceded one in their last six games.
• Juventus have scored 10 goals and conceded eight in their last six games.

Conclusion

While we’re hesitant to say the wheels are falling off for Juventus, we do think there’s enough evidence to suggest that they’re starting to struggle down the stretch. They’re unbeaten in the league but when it comes to tricky games like this one, we think they’ll be more than happy to cling on for a draw – especially against their closest rivals. We can see Napoli taking the lead before a moment of magic brings the Old Lady level, and while they may not deserve it, they’ll come away from this one with a point in their locker.

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 9/4

Bookmaker: William Hill