Juventus vs Napoli
This Serie A match between Juventus and Napoli is a great way to start the second half of the 2021/22 season since both are gunning for higher places at the table.
Max Allegri’s Juventus, who struggled in adjusting at first because of Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure for Manchester United, are suddenly finding their groove as they ended 2021 going undefeated in six straight games in all competitions.
Because of their unbeaten streak, I Bianconeri now hold the solo fifth spot at the standings with 34 points.
Meanwhile, Napoli’s form has been subpar after their hot start to this campaign. Although they remain at third with 39 points, they’ve lost three of their last four league matches and they still have a ton of lineup concerns to deal with.
Multiple key players from both clubs are going to sit this one out due to the alarming increase of positive COVID-19 cases. However, we’d expect nothing less when these two rivals meet again at the Allianz Stadium.
Talking Points
Big decisions ahead for Juventus
Juventus are going to have to deal with the contract situations of their top strikers.
Alvaro Morata is reportedly set for a move to Barcelona via a short-term loan with an option to buy. Meanwhile, Paulo Dybala is eligible to get offers from other clubs since he’s entered the final six months of his current contract.
Dybala, who expressed his desire to stay for a few more years in Turin, has verbally agreed to a new deal but he has yet to put his ink on the paper.
Despite the growing uncertainty concerning their veteran forwards, Max Allegri still boasts enough quality in the final third.
Moise Kean and Federico Bernardeschi starred in their 2-0 victory over Cagliari in the last time out, while Juan Cuadrado Federico Chiesa remain viable threats at the wings.
Juventus’ absentee list for this match includes the likes of skipper Giorgio Chiellini, Arthur, Carlo Pinsoglio, Koni De Winter (all COVID), and Danilo (unspecified injury). However, Max Allegri can still count himself lucky compared to Luciano Spalletti.
Setback after setback for Napoli
All odds are against Napoli for this match and it doesn’t help that they’ll make the trip to Turin without a host of key players.
Eljif Elmas, Hirving Lozano, and Victor Osimhen have all tested positive for the coronavirus while Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Adam Ounas are all unavailable since they’ll join their national teams for the upcoming African Cup of Nations.
Moreover, Marui Rui, Andrea Petagna, and Kevin Malcuit are sidelined due to suspensions.
I Partenopei will continue to rely on Matteo Politano, Piotr Zielinski, and Dries Mertens to provide goals, while they’ll be hoping that Fabian Ruiz and Lorenzo Insigne are 100-per cent recovered from COVID-19.
There’s more bad Serie A 2022 news for Napoli since Lorenzo Insigne is about to leave Naples soon after agreeing to a megadeal with MLS side Toronto FC.
Insigne was expected to renegotiate his contract with Napoli at the end of this season. However, the club reportedly couldn’t give their skipper the terms that he wanted.
Toronto FC gave Insigne a lucrative five-and-a-half year contract that is worth about $13-M per season, with up to $5.1-M in add-ons.
History
Juventus aim to assert themselves at home against Napoli once more. Prior to this weekend, I Bianconeri have won nine of their last 10 games (L1) against them at the Allianz Stadium.
However, Napoli are winners of three of their last four league meetings vs. Juventus (W3, L1). Since 2020, I Partenopei have beaten I Bianconeri more often in Serie A than any other club.
In the reverse fixture that took place last September, Napoli came away with a 2-1 win as second half goals from Matteo Politano and Kalidou Koulibaly erased their deficit which was created by Alvaro Morata at the 10th minute.
Betting Tip
 |
 | Juventus vs Napoli | Juventus Asian Handicap -0.50 @ 1.92 |
| January 7, 03:45 (GMT+8) |
Juventus are the favoured side in this battle of attrition, as per the SBOTOP Serie A 2022 odds. I Bianconeri are the favourites at 1.92 to win, while Napoli are installed at 3.80 and chances for a draw are at 3.50 in the 1X2 market.
Napoli may have had Juventus’ number in recent encounters. However, their lack of cutting edge in the final third is a major concern for Luciano Spalletti given the talent at his disposal.
Momentum is a big thing here in Serie A. And since Juventus has it as of the moment, we’re confident for them to pull out another win at home.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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