Napoli will aim to end their campaign on a high as they begin the final stretch of games by welcoming Frosinone to Naples.
Defending champions Napoli will have European qualification on their mind when they take on Frosinone Calcio at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples on Sunday in the Serie A.
However, anything less than a win should more or less end that dream of salvaging what has been a forgettable campaign for the home side. It will not be easy as Frosinone are currently 18th and will fight for their lives to stave off relegation.
In a bid to salvage their Serie A campaign following a disappointing defence of their Scudetto, Napoli ventured to face mid-table Monza in their recent fixture. Despite trailing by a goal at half-time, Napoli orchestrated a stunning turnaround in the second half, scoring three goals in quick succession to emerge victorious with a 4-2 win.
The match saw Matteo Politano deliver a contender for goal of the season, while Victor Osimhen’s remarkable header added to Napoli’s tally. This victory not only solidified Napoli’s hold on seventh place in the standings but also closed the gap on sixth-placed Atalanta BC.
However, Napoli’s defensive woes persist, with the team managing just six clean sheets so far this season. This lack of defensive solidity has been evident in their home performances, particularly highlighted by their recent 3-0 defeat to Atalanta. Napoli’s struggles at the Stadio Maradona have resulted in just six wins out of 15 league games played at home.
Despite their dominance over Frosinone in previous encounters, with Napoli emerging victorious in all five top-flight meetings, including a 3-1 win at the Stadio Stirpe in August, they cannot afford to be complacent. With their focus solely on Serie A following their exits from the Coppa Italia and Champions League, Napoli must secure another victory to satisfy the expectations of their passionate fanbase.
In their last 18 league outings, Eusebio Di Francesco’s squad has faced a daunting challenge, securing victory only once while suffering defeat 12 times. This places them among the least successful teams across Europe’s top five leagues, with only Bundesliga strugglers Darmstadt enduring a more dismal run. Remarkably, their record is surpassed only by Serie B-bound Salernitana in terms of losses.
With a meagre four points earned away from their home turf, Frosinone supporters may harbour little optimism for their upcoming clash against the reigning Italian champions this Sunday. However, despite their recent struggles, there were glimpses of resilience in their previous encounter against Bologna, where they managed to hold the high-flying opponents to a goalless draw. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up for the game and their tactics.
Team News & Tactics
SSC Napoli
Cyril Ngonge is suspended but Matteo Politano is expected to return following his wonder goal. Mathias Olivera is unavailable as he struggles with a thigh injury and this could see Mario Rui return to the lineup.
Francesco Calzona is unlikely to make several changes and should largely keep his playing XI from last time intact. He is expected to go in with a 4-3-3 formation that saw Napoli rake in glory last season.
Alex Meret should start in goal behind the back four of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, and Mario Rui. Stanislav Lobotka should hold the fort at the base of the midfield with Piotr Zielinski and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa providing the forward thrust. Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are shoo-ins, while Matteo Politano will join them in what should be a dynamic front three.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Rui; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Frosinone Calcio
While Francesco Gelli, Abdou Harroui, and Pol Lirola have successfully resumed full training, bolstering Eusebio Di Francesco’s options, the defensive lineup will miss the presence of Anthony Oyono, sidelined with an ankle injury, and Ilario Monterisi, who is nursing a muscular ailment.
Napoli-owned Walid Cheddira will hope to make an impact against his parent side and should partner Matias Soule. The latter has not scored in eight games and there is no better time than now for him to rediscover that goalscoring touch.
Stefano Turati should hold the fort in goal as the last line of defence behind the centre-back trio of Caleb Okoli, Simone Romagnoli, and Pol Lirola. Nadir Zortea and Emanuele Valeri should provide the width from wing-back, dropping deeper to form a back five when needed.
Luca Mazzitelli and Enzo Barrenechea will provide the muscle in the middle of the park while Matías Soule and Reinier Jesus play further upfield as the number 10s. Walid Cheddira has the opportunity to show Napoli he still has a future at the club by putting them short on the night and will start up front.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Turati; Okoli, Romagnoli, Lirola; Zortea, Mazzitelli, Barrenechea, Valeri; Soule, Reinier; Cheddira
Key Stats
- Napoli have won all five of their Serie A games against Frosinone Calcio. Only against Crotone do they have a longer run with a 100 percent win rate.
- Napoli have scored 18 goals against Frosinone in Serie A, the most of any side in the Italian top flight.
- Frosinone have never scored an away goal against Napoli in Serie A.
- A win on the night will see Napoli win consecutive Serie A games for only the third time this season.
- Keeping a clean sheet on the night will see Frosinone keep two consecutive shutouts for the second time in Serie A history.
Player to Watch
Victor Osimhen
The Nigerian ace is Napoli’s elite goal scorer, and the defending Italian champions breathe an easy life when he is in form. Injuries have limited his impact this season, but the 24-year-old remains the biggest weapon in the home side’s arsenal.
While his return of 12 goals in the league is rather low for his quality, it is a testament to the poor campaign the club is having as a whole. With no margin for error, Napoli need to win all their remaining matches. As long as Osimhen grips the game by the neck, the home side have a real shot at coming away with all three points.
Prediction
SSC Napoli 1-1 Frosinone Calcio
The home side will want to get off to a good start and grab an early goal. Should that not happen, Frosinone could find themselves with enough opportunities to hit them on the counter. The Hard Tackle backs the teams to settle for a stalemate on the night.
