Napoli will enter yet another weekend leading the pack of many clubs at the top end of the Serie A table as they pay a visit to a struggling Torino side.
Paolo Vanoli will want to see major improvements in his players’ performances, as Torino have continued to slip down in the mid-table order ahead of the visit of Napoli. The Turin side are currently 11th in the table, sandwiched between a host of other clubs closely contesting in terms of points accumulated.
Torino might have been much higher than their current position had they not accrued only a single point throughout the last four Serie A games. Not only that, in those games, Vanoli’s side only managed to score once, as the manager will now demand a big performance.
One might argue that those recent fixtures were not kind, including clashes against AS Roma and local rivals Juventus. Now, as they welcome Napoli, a big performance might galvanise the group, which will probably then angle their way to fighting for a European place, although things will be difficult for them on Sunday.
In what has been an incredible start to the Serie A season as a whole, Napoli are currently leading a pack of six clubs vying for the title. Antonio Conte’s side hold a slender advantage at the top with 29 points, as the next four clubs behind them are all on 28 points, while sixth-placed Juventus are on 25.
It is the tightest Scudetto race in years, as Napoli will hope to extend their advantage at the top or, at the very least, maintain the current gap. Conte’s men edged out Roma last weekend and spoiled Claudio Ranieri’s third homecoming as the club’s manager. A solitary Romelu Lukaku strike in the second half proved enough to secure the points.
Conte will want to see more ruthlessness from his players ahead of a crunch period. He would ideally love an undisputed advantage in the title race. While that is not the case right now, Conte will want the three points at all costs on Sunday to take advantage of Torino’s dismal current form.
Team News & Tactics
Torino
Torino do not have an unusual list of absentees against Napoli, as long-term injured stars Perr Schurs and Duvan Zapata are out of action alongside Ivan Ilic. Paolo Vanoli is expected to name his strongest eleven with the players he has at his disposal, meaning a back three will be onder against Napoli.
Sebastian Walukiewicz should feature on the right side of the back three, with Saul Coco and Adam Masina lining up alongside him. Marcus Pedersen and Valentino Lazaro should be the wing-back options.
Karol Linetty is the preferred choice at the base of Torino’s midfield, with Nikola Vlasic and Gvidas Gineitis on either side. Scottish striker Che Adams should lead the line for Vanoli’s team alongside Antonio Sanabria.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Milenkovic-Savic; Walukiewicz, Coco, Masina; Pedersen, Vlasic, Linetty, Cineitis, Lazaro; Adams, Sanabria
Napoli
Napoli have probably one of the least problems when it comes to player fitness, as only Pasquale Mazzocchi is absent ahead of this trip to Turin. This clash will also be a return for Alessandro Buingiorno to his old stomping grounds, although this time, their fans will not be cheering his name by any means.
The Italy defender will have Amir Rrahmani by his side in the backline. Giovanni Di Lorenzo will stay at right-back, while Mathias Olivera will start on the left. Scott McTominay has become a key part of Conte’s midfield plans, while Billy Gilmour and Stanislav Lobotka are being considered, as the manager might prefer the latter for this clash.
Romelu Lukaku will continue to lead the line for Napoli against Torino, and he will want to maintain his recent good form and help the club stay top of the Serie A standings. Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will complete the front three for Conte’s side, and the manager will hope there are more goals this time around.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Kvaratskhelia
Key Stats
- Torino are winless in their last four Serie A games, taking only a single point from those encounters.
- Torino have taken only four points from their last eight Serie A games.
- Torino have scored just a single goal in their last four Serie A games.
- Napoli are undefeated in 17 of their last 18 matches against Torino in all competitions.
- Napoli have kept eight clean sheets in Serie A this season, with only Juventus holding a better defensive record in all of Europe’s top five leagues.
Player to Watch
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
With Lukaku taking the plaudits for his goals in recent games, Kvaratskhelia has been in the news for different reasons. He could be moving on after the current season ends. While being one of the big names in this Napoli side, the winger has yet to fully burst out for Antonio Conte’s side this term.
It is a rather underrated fact that Kvaratskhelia has the same number of league goals this season as Lukaku, as Conte will be hoping to see this partnership in the front three blossom to new levels. Games like the ones against Torino are chances for the Georgian to break the chain and get himself flowing for Napoli on Sunday and beyond.
Prediction
Torino 0-2 Napoli
Torino are not in a good space right now to keep their hopes high as the league leaders Napoli come visiting. Paolo Vanoli’s men will be eager to get a win under their bag and ease some of the growing pressure on them. However, beating Antonio Conte’s side will be a far bigger challenge than it represents on paper.
Napoli are not yet a team smashing their way in Serie A, and Conte will continue to demand more goals from his side and not rely on slender leads. Hence, this game could be the one where they start scoring more goals, as Napoli are expected to take three points and, at the very least, retain their single-point advantage at the top.