Serie A: Napoli and Roma Both Have Big Ambitions

Napoli vs AS Roma

Napoli welcome Roma to the Diego Maradona Stadium for a blockbuster Serie A clash fit to round off a huge weekend for Italian football.

Luciano Spalletti has led Napoli to the brink of a Scudetto challenge but their hopes were seriously damaged by a 3-2 defeat at home to Fiorentina last week. Meanwhile,   

Jose Mourinho’s Roma beat bottom club Salernitana 2-1, and when the two teams meet in Naples on Monday, anything less than three points will not be enough.  

I Giallorossi finished seventh last season and this time around they still hold top four ambitions, currently five points behind Juventus in fourth; and they warmed up for this game with a Europa Conference League quarter final win over Bodo Glimt. Meanwhile, Napoli had a week off having exited the Europa League at the hands of Barcelona.

The latest Serie A betting odds say Gli Azzurri can still finish top dogs but they can’t afford any more slip ups.

Talking Points

Can Napoli stay the course?

An unpredictable sequence of Serie A results, Napoli’s loss to the Viola and two goalless draws for leaders Milan has turned this league into a four horse race with six points separating the top four sides and six games to play. Napoli are third favourites at a SBOTOP price of 5.00 but they could easily be five points behind the leaders when they kick off on Monday. Every point is vital from now on and Spalletti will hope his fit again striker Victor Osimhen, can score the goals they need to keep up with the Scudetto leaders.

The highly rated Nigerian hit man has 12 goals from an injury hit campaign and he would have surely been a 20 goal finisher were it not for his horrific head injury. If he can get near to the 20 mark then Napoli’s title hopes are not yet over; and he has a collection of proven winners in the creative ranks around him. Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne with eight goals each and Insigne with seven assists will ensure Osimhen is not isolated up front, while Polish midfielder Piotr Zielinski is a wonderful box to box player, linking defence and attack.   

Abraham’s goal touch is just fine

Sitting fifth in the La Liga table, Roma are still hopeful of finishing in a coveted top four place after a season of transition under Jose Mourinho. His team has been solid defensively, as you’d expect, but they have also played some wonderful expansive football at times, with an attack spearheaded by England star Tammy Abraham. With 15 goals for the season he is the fourth highest scorer in Serie A, and, like Osimhen, he has the ability to reach the 20 mark. Mourinho coached Abraham as a young player at Chelsea and he rates the 24 year old highly. Having gone two league games without a strike he showed he hasn’t lost his touch, scoring a well taken goal in the 4-0 win over Bodo. Behind Abraham, French midfielder Jordan Veretout is having a superb season, making seven assists and scoring four goals, while wide man Nicolo Zaniolo helped himself to a hat-trick against Bodo Glimt.   

Defender Roger Ibanez has formed a good centre back partnership with Chris Smalling, and the former Manchester United star was on target in the win over Salernitana.

This is a well balanced team with no injury worries and, if they can take the three points away from Napoli, that will really blow the race for fourth place wide open.

History

I Giallorossi are three times winners of the Scudetto, the last occasion in 2001, while the second of Napoli’s two titles came back in 1990.

In terms of head to heads, Roma have won 20 to Napoli’s 14 matches, and there have been 11 draws in all competitions since 1995, but Napoli have won three of the last four, before drawing 0-0 in Rome in the return match this season.    

The Azzurri are slightly stronger in their recent form; having won four and lost two of the last six, while Roma have won three, drawn two and lost one. 

Betting Tip

All three results are well in play with Napoli at odds of 1.85, the draw at 3.30 and a Roma win at 3.98.

Napoli have lost five times at home in the league this season as well as in the Coppa Italia and the Europa League, while Roma have won two of the last three on the road. I expect a tight game; maybe a 1-1 draw or a win by the odd goal, and this is a game the eyes of Italy will be fixed on when the weekend’s round of matches draws to a close.

 

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