Napoli will turn their attention back towards their Scudetto march as they head to the Stadio Carlo Castellani to face mid-tablers Empoli.
Napoli’s ambitions have never been higher, with Luciano Spalletti’s high-flyers striving for a coveted double this season.
Unless anything unprecedented happens or they get docked points for false accounting, the Partenopei should end their three-decade drought for the Scudetto this season thanks to their enormous 15-point lead over second-place. Their appetite, however, extend beyond the borders of Italy.
And their performance in Germany only makes the case even stronger, as the Naples-based outfit absolutely dominated Eintracht Frankfurt to earn a comfortable 2-0 victory in their Champions League Round of 16 first leg on Tuesday, with Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo among the goals for the visitors.
Before that, they thrashed tricky Sassuolo 2-0 in Serie A, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen getting on the scoresheet. Luciano Spalletti’s side are an unstoppable force at the moment, making light work of what were supposed to be difficult games.
Their Scudetto charge now heads to Florence to take on mid-tabler Empoli. With only two points separating Empoli and tenth-placed Udinese at the start of this round of fixtures, the hosts’ bid to seal a top-half finish appears to be well on track.
But since securing a stunning 1-0 victory at runners-up Inter Milan in January, Paolo Zanetti’s men failed to win in their last four Serie A games (D3, L1).
Despite that, this is turning out to be quite a successful campaign for Gli Azzurri, who have only lost one of their eight league outings since the turn of the year, and are sitting comfortably 11 points above the drop zone. They enter into this encounter with a 1-1 league draw against their Tuscan rivals, Fiorentina.
The hosts can take solace from the fact that they recorded a league double over Napoli last season. Napoli won 2-0 in the reverse fixture in November and will look for a league double of their own here. And ahead of this matchup at the Stadio Comunale Carlo Castellani, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams.
Team News & Tactics
Empoli
"Servirà un'impresa contro una squadra che sta unendo i risultati ad un gioco fantastico. Dovremo avere coraggio e capacità di soffrire": le dichiarazioni di mister #Zanetti alla vigilia di #EmpoliNapoli ⬇️https://t.co/k4kRl7SPpC
— Empoli Football Club Official (@EmpoliFC) February 24, 2023
Empoli cannot call upon the services of injured pair Mattia Destro and Lorenzo Tonelli through injury ahead of this clash with the league leaders, and they are not anticipated to return until at least March. Central defender Fabiano Parisi is back following suspension, but Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro and Filippo Bandinelli are ineligible due to one-match bans.
Paolo Zanetti is likely to stick with his preferred 4-3-1-2 formation. Highly coveted goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has been outstanding for Empoli this season. He pulled off some incredible stops to help them hold fellow Tuscan foes Fiorentina to a 1-1 stalemate last weekend.
He will likely be called upon and will be busy on Saturday against free-scoring Napoli. Zanetti could opt for a back four of Tyronne Ebuehi, Ardian Ismajli, Sebastiano Luperto, and Fabiano Parisi. Razvan Marin is expected to start in the midfield three, with Liam Henderson and Alberto Grassi on either side of the Romanian playmaker.
Nicolo Cambiaghi has gotten on the scoresheet in their last two games and will hope to continue his scoring touch on Saturday. Veteran striker Francesco Caputo, who has one goal and three assists in eight Serie A appearances this term, will partner him in the front two, with Tommaso Baldanzi serving as the flexible No. 10 behind the striking duo.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Vicario; Ebuehi, Ismajli, Luperto, Parisi; Henderson, Marin, Grassi; Baldanzi; Cambiaghi, Caputo
Napoli
Despite a hectic schedule, Napoli have remained relatively sound, with Giacomo Raspadori the only player out of the visitors. The former Sassuolo man is back in training for Spalletti’s side, but he is not yet match-fit.
Napoli are likely to set up in a 4-3-3 formation, but boss Luciano Spalletti is expected to make some changes to his side for the clash against Empoli on the back of the Champions League tie. Hirving Lozano could be handed a breather from the front three, giving Matteo Politano the chance to line up alongside the electric duo of Khvicha Kvaratshelia and Victor Osimhen.
🗣 #Spalletti: "We can feel the affection that there is for this team and club. We can't make any mistakes. We can't let our joy turn into over-confidence."
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/GuIhRr6gHW
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) February 24, 2023
In midfield, Elif Elmas could come in as the left-sided midfielder in place of Piotr Zielinski, with Stanislav Lobotka manning the anchor role, while Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa remains a powerful presence to add menace in the middle of the park. Tanguy Ndombele is another option Spalletti could call upon if he opts to rest Zambo Anguissa.
There should be no alterations at the back, though, with Alex Meret set to start in goal for the hosts, behind the back four of captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Kim Min-jae, and Mario Rui.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Kim, Rrahmani, Rui; Anguissa, Lobotka, Elmas; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Key Stats
- Napoli have won their last seven Serie A matches in a row.
- Napoli have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven Serie A matches.
- The Partenopei have scored at least two goals in their last 7 league matches.
- Empoli are unbeaten in their last five home games in Serie A.
- Both teams have got on the scoresheet in each of the last five meetings between these two sides at this ground.
Player to Watch
Victor Osimhen
Having already scored 18 times in 18 starts in Serie A this season, the Nigerian striker just cannot stop scoring and will be eager to add more goals to his tally. He rippled the net for the sixth game in a row in midweek’s UEFA Champions League encounter against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. Osimhen will prove to be a challenging opponent for the home team’s defenders, as he will be difficult to contain.
Prediction
Empoli 1-3 Napoli
Napoli have so far managed to bypass the minnows in a very positive manner, having won seven games on the bounce in Serie A and the Champions League while keeping a clean sheet in an impressive five of those victories. And Empoli are unlikely to disrupt their winning juggernaut.
Having said that, despite their lower mid-table status, Empoli still pose a reasonable threat in their forward line and could cause some problems for a Napoli side suffering from jet lag following their Champions League duty. Still, The Hard Tackle expects Napoli to run out as comfortable 3-1 winners in Florence.
