Serie A champions Napoli will begin their title defence away to newly-promoted Frosinone on Saturday night.
Serie A champions SSC Napoli will kick off their Scudetto defence against newly promoted Frosinone Calcio at the Stade Benito Stirpe on Saturday night.
New manager Rudi Garcia will have a difficult task to follow in Luciano Spalletti’s footsteps and win the club yet another Scudetto. With most of the core of the title-winning side still at the club, Garcia will have the means to leave a mark on the club’s history.
Frosinone will kick off their third campaign in the top flight and could not have asked for a tougher opener. I Canarini had the best defensive record in the second division last season, but it is unlikely to do them any favours in Serie A.
Fabio Grosso’s departure was a blow for the home side. But new manager Eusebio Di Francesco has experience of managing in Serie A and got Frosinone to a winning start in the Coppa Italia first round last week. While it will be too much to ask of them to repeat it against Napoli, a strong showing should set the tone for the remainder of the campaign.
🎟️ BIGLIETTERIA
Prezzi dei tagliandi e modalità di vendita per #FrosinoneNapoli
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— Frosinone Calcio (@Frosinone1928) August 14, 2023
The home side’s additions this summer have been rather uninspiring, further adding to Di Francesco’s troubles. The game against Napoli will be nothing short of a trial by fire for both the boss and his players. A hugely experienced manager, he will be keen to make use of it to give the home side a fighting chance of avoiding relegation.
The same can be said of Rudi Garcia, who will be compared to Spalletti anytime he drops the ball. In many ways, it will be a showdown between two managers keen to follow in the steps of their illustrious predecessors and carve a new chapter for themselves. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might implement.
Team News & Tactics
Frosinone Calcio
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— Frosinone Calcio (@Frosinone1928) August 16, 2023
The minnows have enjoyed a rather blessed pre-season devoid of any serious injury concerns. Sergio Kalaj and Karlo Lulic are, however, doubts for the game but are expected to make a recovery to at least make the bench.
Frosinone’s successful Serie B campaign was built on a rock-solid defence that was easily the best in the Italian second division. With no significant additions to speak of to the roster, they could find it difficult to replicate the same level of impact in the top flight.
Eusebio Di Francesco is expected to name a 4-3-3 formation that can double up as a 4-5-1 or and 5-4-1 when not in possession. Given the players on Napoli’s roster, it makes sense for the Serie A newcomers to crowd the midfield and limit the ball from being played forward into channels.
Stefano Turati should start in goal and will be expected to have a busy night as the home side’s last line of defence. He will be protected by a back four of Riccardo Marchizza, Simone Romagnoli, Ilario Monterisi and Anthony Oyono. The full-backs in particular will need to be alert to keep Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Giacomo Raspadori quiet.
The trio of Francesco Gelli, Abdou Harroui and Luca Mazzitelli will aim to secure control of the middle of the park, giving Frosinone a fighting chance of securing something from the game.
Giuseppe Caso and Gennaro Borrelli will provide the width upfront but will need to be alert on the overlap and should have much tracking back to do. How well they position themselves on the counter will determine the chances of beating the Napoli backline.
Jaime Baez will be expected to start upfront and will hope to make the most of the departure of Kim Min-jae, last season’s Serie A defensive star from the Napoli backline.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Turati; Marchizza, Romagnoli, Monterisi, Oyono; Gelli, Harroui, Mazzitelli; Caso, Borrelli, Baez
SSC Napoli
Star defender Kim Min-jae is the defending champions’ biggest departure this summer, and they have largely failed to replace him with a player of a similar calibre. Napoli’s levels did see a drop off last season after they won the Scudetto, and Rudi Garcia will be aware that he will need to make an impression soon.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa is a doubt for the game, while Gianluca Gaetano looks set to miss out with an injury. Garcia has an otherwise fully-fit squad at his disposal and will be keen to kickstart his stint with a win.
The 4-3-3 formation is likely to be retained with Alex Meret in goal. He will be protected by the backline of Mathias Olivera, Amir Rrahmani, Leo Ostigard and Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
👊 È il momento di fare sul serio
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— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) August 17, 2023
Stanislav Lobotka, summer signing Jens Cajuste and Elif Elmas are expected to start in the middle of the park. The trio have the advantage over their Frosinone counterparts and seizing control of the middle of the pitch should open the doors for the Napoli front three to dominate.
Despite having the best defence in the top flight last season, Napoli’s real strength lies up top. The reigning Serie A MVP Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will be keen to continue his rise to superstardom while star striker Victor Osimhen will be aiming for a second straight Serie A golden boot. Matteo Politano should complete the holy triad who are expected to give the Frosinone defence a run for their money.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Olivera, Rrahmani, Ostigard, Di Lorenzo; Lobotka, Cajuste, Elmas; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Key Stats
- Among the teams they have faced at least twice before, Frosinone have a hundred percent loss record against Napoli. The Gli Azzurri have won all four games between the two teams.
- Frosinone have conceded 15 goals against Napoli in the top flight, more than against any other team in Italy’s premier division.
- A loss on the night will see Napoli lose consecutive league games against newly promoted teams for the first time in Serie A since 2015.
- Frosinone have lost their opening games in both of their previous two Serie A campaigns.
- A win on the night will see Napoli win their opening Serie A game for the seventh straight season, setting a new club record in the category.
- This will be the 18th time that Napoli kick off their Serie A campaign against a newly promoted. They have never lost any of the 17 previous games.
Player to Watch
Victor Osimhen
The reigning Serie A top scorer is a man in demand, attracting attention from both the Middle East and Europe. The Nigerian ace remains the lynchpin of the Napoli attack and will once again be expected to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
He will be up against the meanest backline from Serie B last campaign, giving the home side a taste of what they can expect now that they are back in the big time. Osimhen is the player to watch out for on the night and it will come as a surprise if he fails to open his season’s tally at the Stade Benito Stirpe.
Prediction
Frosinone Calcio 0-2 SSC Napoli
Despite winning their respective leagues last season, both sides go into the new campaign under new management. While both sides also boast of solid defences, the difference is likely to be made upfront, where Napoli hold a significant edge.
The duo of Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia waltzed their way through opposition defences last season and the pressure will be on them to deliver again. While Frosinone are unlikely to go down without a fight, Napoli’s abundance of match-winners should see them come away with all three points.
