Napoli are all set to host Real Madrid at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Matchday 2 of the Champions League group stage.
Napoli and Real Madrid are all set to square up against each other after getting off to a perfect start with all three points in the UEFA Champions League group stage last time out. Both teams will be eager to take all three points from this game as it might end up deciding who finishes at the top spot in Group C.
The home team began their UCL campaign with a 2-1 win over SC Braga. Despite being the stronger team on paper, they were not really in control of the game and could have dropped points. But, thanks to an own goal by Sikou Niakate late in the second half, the Serie A champions managed to take home all three points.
They will now square up against the most successful team in Champions League history and will look to get one better over them in their own backyard. Napoli are heading into this fixture on the back of a 4-0 win over Lecce and will be confident of putting up a great fight against Real Madrid.
The visitors did have a slip-up against city rivals Atletico Marid. But apart from that, they have been in sensational form since the start of the new season. Real Madrid started off their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 win over debutants Union Berlin.
They were not really in total control of that game but ended up taking home all three points thanks to a late goal by summer signing Jude Bellingham. After losing to Atletico Madrid, they have bounced back with two consecutive wins in the league without conceding a goal.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team will be confident heading into this fixture, but it won’t be an easy one by any means. It is going to be a hard-fought encounter between two quality teams. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could use.
Team News & Tactics
Napoli
The home team will be without the services of Juan Jesus, Amir Rrahmani, and Pierluigi Gollini for this fixture against Real Madrid. Victor Osimhen and Matteo Politano will return to the playing XI after having started on the bench in their last outing.
🏋️♀️ Back to work
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/cojYkN6Sal
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) October 1, 2023
Rudi Garcia is expected to go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, where Alex Meret will be in goal. Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Mathias Olivera will be the full-backs. The duo will look to join the attackers at every possible opportunity. Meanwhile, in the heart of the defence, Leo Ostigard will pair up with Natan.
Stanislav Lobotka will be the holding midfielder and he will have the support of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Piotr Zielinski on either side. The trio will look to control the tempo of this game and not allow the Real Madrid midfielders to dominate proceedings.
Matteo Politano will feature on the right flank while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will take charge on the left. Victor Osimhen, who has been the talk of town of late because of a controversial post by the club on their TikTok account, will be leading the lines. He will be looking to put things behind him and produce a great performance against the Spanish giants.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Ostigard, Natan, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti will be without the services of Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, and Arda Guler for this fixture. The Real Madrid manager has a lot to think about when it comes to the playing XI.
📋✅ Our squad for the match 🆚 @en_sscnapoli!#UCL pic.twitter.com/19H6hHvnAx
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) October 1, 2023
While he has to make a few tough decisions, Ancelotti is expected to go ahead with the 4-4-2 formation, where Kepa Arrizabalaga will continue in goal. Dani Carvajal will continue at the right-back, while Fran Garcia will return to the starting XI and take charge at left-back. Meanwhile, Nacho will pair up with Rudiger in the heart of the defence.
Luka Modric and Toni Kroos could once again find themselves on the bench. Eduardo Camavinga who featured as a left-back in their last outing will return to the centre of the park and pair up with Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde.
Jude Bellingham will once again feature as the attacking midfielder just behind the Brazilian duo of Vinicius and Rodrygo. Vinicius and Rodrygo Goes will look to drift wide and create space for Bellingham to get into the box.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Kepa; Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius
Key Stats
- This is the first time since 2017 that Napoli and Real Madrid are squaring up against each other.
- Both teams have faced each other on four occasions back in the day and Los Blancos have won three of those outings.
- Napoli has never defeated Real Madrid in an official fixture.
- The home team are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Rodrygo Goes
Rodrygo has not lived up to the expectations in the new season. The 22-year-old winger was not a regular starter until last season. He used to come off the bench in the majority of their matches and managed to contribute with quite a few important goals.
Karim Benzema’s departure meant he would have a more prominent role at the club. He has played the majority of the minutes in the new season but hasn’t managed to have the kind of impact everyone expected him to.
The Brazilian only has two goal contributions in nine outings. And, he will be eager to produce a sensational performance against the Italian giants and add to his tally. Rodrygo could end up being the difference between the two teams on the night.
Prediction
Napoli 1-2 Real Madrid
Both Napoli and Real Madrid are heading into this fixture in red-hot form. They have both managed to get off to a perfect start in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League campaign and will look to build on it. But, it won’t be easy for either of them.
It is going to be a closely fought encounter but Los Blancos might just have the edge on the night given the number of match-winners and experienced players they have in their star-studded squad. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the visitors.
