Third-placed Juventus will be eager to end their losing streak when they square up against league leaders Napoli.
Italian giants Juventus have received a major boost ahead of their home fixture against Napoli. The Old Lady’s 15 points deduction has been overturned on appeal. And as a result, they have jumped four places in the league. Meanwhile, Napoli have been going through a rare rough patch in the ongoing season after being knocked out of the Champions League.
Juventus’s season has been revived after Italy’s highest sporting court reversed a 15-point penalty for financial misdemeanours. This has allowed them to move up to third in Serie A, which allows them to push for a Champions League spot. Meanwhile, they are still alive in the Europa League and the Coppa Italia.
However, Juventus still face the possibility of punishment at a later date as a further FIGC hearing is set to be held. The Old Lady are heading into this encounter on the back of two back-to-back losses in the league. And, they will aim to avoid a third straight league loss for the first time since 2011.
While they have won just once in their last six league games against Napoli, they have only lost one of the teams’ last 12 meetings in Turin. Napoli, on the other hand, have had a spectacular season. But their march towards their first Scudetto in 33 years has slowed slightly as they have failed to win three of their last six league games.
The visitors have a 14-point lead over second-placed Lazio. And, after crashing out of cup competitions, they will solely focus on the league title. Napoli will aim to do the double over Juventus for the first time since 2010. But they will face an opponent who have accumulated the most points at home in Serie A this season.
The Partenopei have scored more away goals than anyone else. And, they will be eager to prove their credentials against a strong Juventus outfit. Their last league fixture ended in a draw and they will be eager to return to winning ways.
Last time around when the two teams met in the reverse fixture, Napoli thrashed Juventus 5-1, and the Old Lady will be desperate to avenge that humiliating loss this time around. The Hard Tackle closely examines this high-voltage fixture and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Massimiliano Allegri will be without the services of Bremer who sustained an injury in their Europa League outing. Along with him, Moise Kean is also unavailable due to a flexor issue. Meanwhile, they do have a boost as Alex Sandro is back in the mix after serving his Serie A suspension last week.
😵💫 @kingarturo23's stepovers in this #JuveNapoli success 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VJkw3p56Id
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) April 22, 2023
The Juventus manager is expected to go ahead with the 3-5-2 formation, where Wojciech Szczesny will continue in goal. The back three will be Federico Gatti, Danilo and Alex Sandro.
As far as the midfield five are concerned, Mattia De Sciglio and Filip Kostic will feature in the wing-backs role. The duo will provide the width in attack as well as help out their defence when needed.
Nicolo Fagioli, Manuel Locatelli and highly sought-after Adrien Rabiot will make the midfield three. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game and look for those killer passes. As far as the attack is concerned, the Argentine World Cup winner Angel Di Maria will pair up with Dusan Vlahovic.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Danilo, Gatti, Sandro; De Sciglio, Fagioli, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Di Maria, Vlahovic
Napoli
As far as the league leaders are concerned, they will be without the services of Mario Rui, Matteo Politano and Giovanni Simeone who are out injured. Meanwhile, they do have a major boost as Kim Min-jae, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Tanguy Ndombele are all back from suspension. And, Amir Rrahmani is expected to be fit for this match.
🪄 𝕂𝕙𝕧𝕚𝕔𝕙𝕒 🥰 pic.twitter.com/OrguBLsYYL
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) April 22, 2023
Luciano Spalletti is expected to go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation. Alex Meret should continue in goal. Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Mathias Olivera should be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Kim Min-jae will pair up with Juan Jesus.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka and Piotr Zielinski will feature in the centre of the park. The duo will look to have the majority of the ball and not allow the Juventus midfield to dictate the pace of the game.
The in-form Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will start on the left flank, while Hirving Lozano will be on the right. And, star striker Victor Osimhen will lead the Napoli attack against Juventus on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Kim, Jesus, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Lozano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Key Stats
- Juventus have a strong historical record against Napoli, winning 86 out of 186 matches played between the two teams, compared to Napoli’s 42 victories.
- Napoli secured a stunning 5-1 victory over Juventus in the reverse fixture and are seeking to complete a league double over their opponents for just the fourth time in history.
- The Old Lady have struggled in recent matches against Napoli, winning just one of their last six encounters in Serie A, with that victory coming in April 2021.
- Juventus have been dominant at home against Napoli in recent years, remaining unbeaten in 11 of their last 12 matches against them in Serie A. Their only loss during this period occurred in 2018.
- The league leaders have hit a rough patch in form, failing to win three of their last six matches in Serie A, the same number of matches they had failed to win in the first 24 league games of the season.
Player to Watch
Adrien Rabiot
Adrien Rabiot has been one of the standout performers for Juventus this season and has proven to be a key player for the team in the midfield. The Frenchman’s ability to control the tempo of the game and dictate play from the centre of the park has been crucial to Juve’s success. His performances have also attracted several clubs.
The 26-year-old has also demonstrated his attacking prowess this season, netting eight goals and providing three assists in 25 Serie A appearances. His intelligent runs and clinical finishing ability make him a potent threat going forward. And Massimiliano Allegri will bank on the 28-year-old to produce the goods against Napoli.
Prediction
Juventus 2-1 Napoli
The fixture between Juventus and Napoli promises to be a tense encounter, with both teams vying for valuable points in Serie A. The Old Lady will look to bounce back from their recent losses and make a statement against Napoli, who have been the standout team in the league this season.
Despite Juventus’s recent struggles, they have a strong record against Napoli in Turin, having lost only one of their last 12 meetings at home. However, Napoli have scored more away goals than any other team in the league and will be eager to secure a victory. With both teams having a lot to play for, this match will surely be a closely-contested affair. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 for the home team.
