Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 5/2
Bookmaker: ZetBet
Displaced from the top in the Serie A title race, Napoli aim to reignite their campaign in Saturday’s encounter with Udinese. After a blistering start, back-to-back defeats in league and cup competitions have disrupted the Azzurri’s momentum.
Meanwhile, Udinese remain consistent in mid-table, providing a steady but less spectacular challenge. Napoli will look to bounce back decisively, while their hosts seek to solidify their position and exploit any vulnerabilities in the reigning champions.
Udinese
Udinese face another historical hurdle, as their last league victory against Napoli dates back to April 2016. Since then, the Bianconeri have endured 13 defeats in 16 encounters.
Udinese enter this week’s contest on the back of a rare victory, having lost four of their previous five league games before defeating Monza 2-1 on Monday.
Securing just their second away win of the Serie A season, Lorenzo Lucca opened the scoring with another headed goal, while Slovenian defender Jaka Bijol sealed the result with a second-half winner.
The victory lifted Udinese to ninth in the standings with 20 points from 15 matches, ending their recent slump.
Now aiming for consecutive league wins for the first time since September, the Friulani face a challenging week ahead: after hosting Napoli, they will take on reigning Scudetto champions Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia.
Team News
First-choice goalkeeper Maduka Okoye missed Monday’s match against Monza due to a wrist injury that could sideline him for up to three months. Oier Zarraga is unlikely to return before Christmas due to a thigh issue, joining Martin Payero, Alexis Sanchez, and Keinan Davis on the sidelines.
In Davis’s absence, Lorenzo Lucca will spearhead the attack. Lucca has scored five league goals this season, with four of them coming from headers – the joint-highest in Serie A alongside Mateo Retegui.
Napoli
Back-to-back defeats to Lazio within four days have dealt a significant blow to Napoli’s ambitions of competing for two trophies this season, eliminating them from the Coppa Italia and costing them their lead in Serie A.
Antonio Conte rotated his starting XI entirely across the two fixtures, but neither lineup could handle their in-form Roman opponents, who now trail by just one point in the standings.
Following a 1-0 home loss on Sunday, Atalanta BC now lead a tightly contested title race. Meanwhile, some Napoli fans are questioning Conte’s approach: among the current top eight teams, his side not only has the lowest average possession (50%) but also the poorest goals-per-game rate (1.4).
Napoli have managed just 21 league goals so far — their worst tally at this stage of a season since 2009. Unless they score three on Saturday, it will mark their lowest total after 16 matches in this century.
On a brighter note, Napoli have kept five clean sheets in seven away games this season and conceded just once in their last six on the road.
With Conte also unbeaten in 11 Serie A matches against Udinese, he will be confident of getting back on track this weekend.
Team News
After back-to-back defeats to Lazio, Napoli have suffered another setback, with star player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ruled out until next year due to a knee injury.
Brazilian winger David Neres may step in, joining Matteo Politano and Romelu Lukaku in the attack. Lukaku has a strong record against Udinese, scoring five goals in seven Serie A appearances against them.
Pasquale Mazzocchi will also miss out, but Conte is expected to have the remainder of his squad fit for the long trip north to Udine.
Conclusion
Napoli could be at risk of dropping more points, as a tight and cautious contest seems likely to end in a draw. With both teams struggling for form, goals may be hard to come by, leaving Conte and his squad frustrated with another stalemate.
Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 5/2
Bookmaker: ZetBet
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