Napoli will aim to book their spot in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 when they host SC Braga at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Tuesday night.
Napoli will look to avoid defeat to seal their progression to the UEFA Champions League knockouts when they host Braga at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Tuesday night, with both teams’ European futures’ hanging in the balance.
The hosts have endured a rather terrible campaign, prompting the dismissal of manager Rudi Garcia only months after his appointment. After initial optimism following Walter Mazzarri’s arrival, they are once again experiencing a hard time and will enter this game off the back of three losses on the spin across all competitions, two of which were crushing defeats in Serie A.
As it stands, last season’s Scudetto winners currently sit in joint-fourth alongside AS Roma with 24 points, putting them at risk of slipping outside of the top four if they do not get back on track. In Europe, Napoli sit second in their group with seven points from five games and only need a point to advance, while a one-goal defeat will also suffice.
They lost 4-2 to Real Madrid in their last game, conceding twice in the final 10 minutes. But Napoli should improve on that against an SC Braga side that have kept just one clean sheet in their last 18 outings.
The Portuguese outfit have to beat Napoli and try to overturn a three-goal deficit in the table to have any chance of progression. That looks like a tall order. But securing a draw should be enough to seal them a spot in the Europa League Round of 32.
They suffered a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid in their last away match in the Champions League, but overcame Union Berlin 3-2 in Germany at the start of October and drew 1-1 against the German outfit last time out. Napoli won the first meeting against Union Berlin 2-1 in September. And The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the reverse fixture between the two sides.
Team News and Tactics
Napoli
Napoli have an injury crisis at the back. Mathias Olivera’s serious knee injury keeps him sidelined along with Mario Rui, who has a muscular issue, while Alessandro Zanoli is questionable with a back problem. Further issues have arisen in the week too; Jens Cajuste injured his knee as a substitute against Juventus on Friday.
On the flip side, captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo recovered from a minor knock in training to start against Juve. The Partenopei have been leaky at the back this season, in contrast to last year’s title campaign, where they were nearly impenetrable.
Without departed defender Kim Min-jae, who was sold to Bayern Munich in the summer, they lack the same cohesion and have not kept a clean sheet since blanking Salernitana back in early November, giving head coach Walter Mazzarri a huge headache.
Despite the injury woes at the back, Napoli are hugely bolstered by the return of Victor Osimhen, who has started the last two games, and he will lead the hosts’ attack alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Matteo Politano in Naples.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Natan; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen, Politano
SC Braga
Braga will miss out on the services of Sikou Niakate for this match through suspension, with the centre-back sent off in the 1-1 draw with Union Berlin in the Champions League last time out. Otherwise, head coach Artur Jorge could have a full-strength squad available for this match, with the team not reporting any injury problems from their last game.
Braga will likely be set up in a 4-2-3-1 system this midweek, with Matheus Magalhaes a guaranteed starter in between the sticks. Meanwhile, Jose Fonte and Paulo Oliveira should form the central defensive pairing in the backline. The full-backs will be Victor Gomez and Cristian Borja.
Former Wolves playmaker Joao Moutinho will likely join Almoatasembellah Al-Musrati in the double pivot. The duo will look to control the tempo from the engine room, enabling the four attackers to play with more freedom.
The visitors’ attack have been full of goals this season, with 12 of those coming from Alvaro Djalo, while Simon Banza has 13, and the pair will be in the starting lineup for this match. Ricardo Horta is also having a strong campaign, scoring nine times from a wide position, and the 29-year-old is expected to be in the first XI.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Matheus; Gomez, Fonte, Saatci, Borja; Moutinho, Carvalho; Djalo, Zalazar, Horta; Banza
Key Stats
- Napoli have had 13 competitive meetings against the Portuguese opposition. They have won seven of those games and lost twice.
- The hosts are without a clean sheet in six games across all competitions.
- The Naples-based outfit are without a win in six games at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
- Braga have had 12 meetings against the Italian opposition, winning three times and losing seven times.
- Braga boasts the worst defensive record in Group C, conceding 10 times.
Player to Watch
Simon Banza
While Napoli possess some world-class talent, Simon Banza has been the architect of Braga’s attack, firing on all cylinders, and has taken time to blossom as a consistent goalscorer. Having joined Braga for merely €3 million after a breakout season at Famalicao, the 27-year-old has proven to be a real coup and has kept up his goalscoring form.
Banza’s double against Vizela last time out taking his tally to 13 goals and three assists in 22 games across all competitions. A nightmare to defend against due to his tall frame, movement, and strength, he always looks to target opposition defenders and wreak havoc. And despite his 6ft2in frame, he is surprisingly mobile in his style of play, often acting as a superb facilitator.
Prediction
Napoli 2-1 SC Braga
Avoiding a defeat should be enough to see Napoli join group winners Real Madrid in the knockout stages of the Champions League, and The Hard Tackle predicts them to finish the job comfortably.
The Partenopei are a difficult team to back right now, even on home turf, and are on a three-game losing streak. However, Braga must win to go through, which could leave them exposed to counter-attacks. But we are expecting the visitors to secure a consolation prize of a UEFA Europa League playoff spot for finishing third in the group.