Antonio Conte will be aiming to secure his first Serie A win as Napoli boss against Bologna on Sunday.
As both Napoli and Bologna adjust to new management, they find themselves seeking their first Serie A victory of the season when they face off on Sunday evening. Both teams had a challenging start to the campaign, with Napoli suffering a heavy defeat and Bologna being held to a draw at home.
Napoli endured a nightmare start to the season, losing their opening league match for the first time in nine years with a 3-0 defeat against Hellas Verona. This result underscores the extent of the decline for the 2023 Scudetto-winners, who now find themselves far removed from their title-winning form.
Under the guidance of new coach Antonio Conte, Napoli’s woes continued as they failed to secure a win, extending their winless run in Serie A to eight games, matching the club’s worst run in 15 years. Conte, who has a history of successful starts, suffered his first-ever defeat in a Serie A opener, as his team crumbled in the second half at Stadio Bentegodi.
Despite a narrow victory over Modena in the Coppa Italia via a penalty shootout, the pressure is mounting on Conte to turn things around. After finishing last season in 10th place, a staggering 41 points behind new champions Inter Milan, Napoli’s president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, brought in Conte to restore the club’s fortunes. However, the start has been anything but smooth, with Victor Osimhen’s future still uncertain, limiting the club’s ability to invest in new talent.
Adding to their challenges, Napoli have struggled against Bologna in recent encounters, failing to score in either of last season’s meetings and going three games without a win against the Emilian side.
Bologna, on the other hand, will be aiming to capitalize on Napoli’s struggles and secure back-to-back away wins against them for the first time since 1936. Last season, Bologna enjoyed a successful campaign, finishing fifth under Thiago Motta, who has since moved on to Juventus. New coach Vincenzo Italiano, who nearly led Fiorentina to Europa Conference League glory, now takes the helm, leading a squad that has lost key players like Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee to the Premier League.
Despite these losses, Bologna showed promise on the opening day of the season, dominating their match against Udinese but failing to convert their chances, ultimately settling for a 1-1 draw.
New captain Riccardo Orsolini, who has been in prolific form, scored from the penalty spot to secure a point for his team. Since the start of the 2022-23 Serie A season, no Italian player has scored more goals than Orsolini, whose 22nd strike was just shy of securing all three points for Bologna. The Hard Tackle delves into the potential elevens and tactics for this highly-anticipated clash.
Team News & Tactics
SSC Napoli
With Victor Osimhen not participating in training and Antonio Conte’s preferred replacement, Romelu Lukaku, not yet secured, Napoli’s forward line for Sunday remains undecided. Giacomo Raspadori, Walid Cheddira, and Giovanni Simeone are all vying for the starting spot up front. Simeone, despite having scored four times against Bologna in previous Serie A encounters, is currently enduring his longest goal drought in the league, with his last strike coming 24 games ago in September 2023.
New signings Alessandro Buongiorno and David Neres are both expected to start on the bench. Buongiorno is still recovering from an ankle injury, while Neres has just arrived from Benfica. Although a deal for Romelu Lukaku has been finalised, the Belgian forward is unlikely to be involved in this weekend’s match.
Napoli are expected to line up in a 3-4-3 formation, with Alex Meret starting in goal, providing a reliable presence between the posts. The back three will likely consist of Giovanni Di Lorenzo at right centre-back, Amir Rrahmani in the central defensive role, and Ionut Radu occupying the left centre-back position, forming a solid defensive unit.
In midfield, Pasquale Mazzocchi will operate as the right wing-back, offering both defensive cover and attacking width, while Stanislav Lobotka and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa will form the central midfield partnership, tasked with controlling the tempo and providing support to both defence and attack. Leonardo Spinazzola will take up the left wing-back role, contributing to both defensive duties and providing an additional attacking option on the flank.
The front three will feature Matteo Politano on the right wing, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the left wing, and Giovanni Simeone as the central striker. This attacking trio will be responsible for creating and converting chances as Napoli look to secure their first win of the Serie A season.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marin; Mazzocchi, Lobotka, Anguissa, Spinazzola; Politano, Kvaratskhelia; Simeone
Bologna FC 1909
Bologna’s attacking options for the match will see Santiago Castro compete with the team’s most notable summer signing, Dutch striker Thijs Dallinga, to lead the line. The attack will be supported by Riccardo Orsolini, who, despite being a key player for Bologna, has yet to score or assist in 10 league appearances against Napoli—a record he will be eager to change.
Emil Holm could finally make his debut for the Rossoblu this week, and fellow full-back Juan Miranda is expected to be involved again. However, Bologna will be without Nicolo Cambiaghi, who has suffered a serious knee injury and will not be available for the trip to Naples. In addition, Oussama El Azzouzi (knee injury) and long-term absentee Lewis Ferguson (ACL) will also miss the match.
Bologna are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Łukasz Skorupski starting in goal, providing a strong and experienced presence between the posts. The back four will likely consist of Stefan Posch at right-back, Sam Beukema and Martin Erlić forming the central defensive partnership, and Juan Miranda occupying the left-back position, offering both defensive solidity and support in attack.
In midfield, Remo Freuler and Michel Aebischer are expected to play as the two holding midfielders, tasked with protecting the backline and helping to transition the play from defence to attack. Ahead of them, Riccardo Orsolini will take up the right-wing position, Giovanni Fabbian will operate as the central attacking midfielder, and Dan Ndoye will play on the left wing, all responsible for creating chances and linking up with the forward line.
Leading the attack will be Santiago Castro, who will aim to capitalise on the service provided by his teammates and find the back of the net against a Napoli side eager to bounce back from a difficult start to the season.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Posch, Beukema, Erlic, Miranda; Freuler, Aebischer; Orsolini, Fabbian, Ndoye; Castro
Key Stats
- Bologna are unbeaten in their last three league games against Napoli (W1 D2). The last time Bologna was unbeaten in four consecutive league matches against Napoli in Serie A was between 1997 and 2001, during which they went five games unbeaten (W4 D1).
- Bologna kept a clean sheet in both of their games against Napoli last season (0-0 at the Dall’Ara and 2-0 at the Maradona). However, they have never recorded three consecutive clean sheets against Napoli in Serie A.
- After their 2-0 win at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in May 2024, Bologna could win consecutive away games against Napoli for only the second time in their Serie A history. The first instance occurred between 1935 and 1936 under the legendary coach Árpád Weisz.
- Napoli lost their first Serie A match of the season for the first time since the 2015/16 season (1-2 against Sassuolo under Maurizio Sarri). In the modern era of three points for a win (since 1994/95), they have only once before suffered two defeats in their first two games of a Serie A campaign, which happened in the 2000/01 season under Zdeněk Zeman.
- Napoli have failed to win any of their last eight league games (D5 L3). The last time they endured a longer winless streak in Serie A was between January and April 2009, when they went 14 matches without a victory (D6 L8).
Player to Watch
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is set to be the player to watch in this crucial matchup between Napoli and Bologna. As one of Napoli’s most creative and dynamic players, Kvaratskhelia has the ability to change the course of a game with his vision, dribbling, and playmaking skills. In a team that is struggling to find its rhythm under new management, his influence on the pitch becomes even more critical.
Kvaratskhelia’s ability to take on defenders and create scoring opportunities will be vital for Napoli, especially given their current struggles in front of goal. With Victor Osimhen’s future uncertain and other attacking options still finding their form, Kvaratskhelia’s role in breaking down Bologna’s defence will be crucial. His ability to deliver in big moments makes him a key player for Napoli as they look to secure their first win of the season and end their eight-game winless streak in Serie A.
Additionally, Kvaratskhelia’s versatility allows him to operate across the front line, making him a difficult player for Bologna to contain. If Napoli is to get their season back on track, Kvaratskhelia will likely need to be at his best, orchestrating attacks and providing the cutting edge that could make the difference in this important fixture.
Prediction
SSC Napoli 1-1 Bologna FC 1909
Given Napoli’s ongoing struggles and Bologna’s recent success against them, this match is likely to be a tightly contested affair. Napoli, under the new leadership of Antonio Conte, are yet to find their footing, and the inability to secure a win in their last eight league games reflects their current challenges. On the other hand, Bologna have been resilient and has a history of frustrating Napoli, having kept clean sheets in both encounters last season.
While Napoli will be desperate to get back to winning ways, Bologna’s solid defense and ability to capitalise on counter-attacks could see them come away with a point. A draw seems a likely outcome, with both teams finding the back of the net but ultimately sharing the spoils.
