Antonio Conte will want to avoid going three games at home without a win as Serie A title chasers Napoli host a Sassuolo side stationed in mid-table.
Napoli were dealt a blow in their pursuit of Inter Milan for the Serie A title, as they dropped points again on home soil; they will aim to avoid a repeat against Sassuolo this weekend. There are murmurs of Antonio Conte going through his usual second-season syndrome, which is currently costing the reigning champions ground in the title chase.
After securing a deserved point against league leaders Inter Milan away from home, Napoli would have hoped to secure a straightforward win over Parma in midweek. Instead, the visitors put on a fight to secure a point in Naples, which saw Conte’s men trail the leaders by six points after 20 games.
The topsy-turvy nature of the Serie A title race does offer Napoli and the other chasers plenty of hope. However, Conte must avoid a third straight home league game without a victory, as they now host Sassuolo here on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Sassuolo boss Fabio Grosso will want his Sassuolo side to improve their ongoing record against Napoli. Their loss on the opening day of the season ensured they are now without a win in eight clashes against the reigning champions, with their last victory coming way back in 2020. Given the context of Sassuolo returning to the top flight, they have exceeded expectations.
Currently stationed in 11th place, there is still the hope that Grosso can take his side towards a European spot at the end of the season. However, it has been six top-flight games since Sassuolo have won a game, having lost their last two to Juventus and AS Roma, as they gear up for another tricky test against the reigning champions Napoli away from home.
Team News & Tactics
Napoli
Antonio Conte could lean towards making key changes to his side following the draw to Parma, as well as make formation tweaks. Following his usage of a back three and wing-backs, Conte might revert to a standard 4-3-3 for this home game against Sassuolo.
Some key stars have been missing for some time in the form of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Billy Gilmour, and Alex Meret; there are fresh doubts over David Neres.
The Brazilian winger came on as a substitute against Parma only to be taken off with a new issue, and there are considerable doubts whether he will feature. However, Conte will have Juan Jesus back in contention after serving a one-game ban, with the experienced defender likely to slot at the back alongside Amir Rrahmani and at the expense of Alessandro Buongiorno.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Leonardo Spinazzola are the full-backs for this clash. Stanislav Lobotka will continue to sit at the base of the midfield, with Scott McTominay and Noah Lang on either side. Matteo Politani and Eljif Elmas are likely to feature in the front three with Rasmus Hojlund once again leading the line for Napoli against Sassuolo.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Spinazzola; Lang, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Hojlund, Elmas
Sassuolo
Meanwhile, Fabio Grosso is staring at an even longer injury list ahead of this tricky visit to Naples, with as many as seven key stars missing from action. Fali Cande’s ACL injury is the latest blow for the visitors. Edoardo Pieragnolo, Laurs Skjellerup, Kristian Thorstvedt, Domenico Berardi, and Daniel Boloca are the other absentees.
There will be doubts over Woyo Coulibaly, considering he has only just returned from AFCON. Meanwhile, this game might come too soon for Filippo Romagna, who is only just closing in on resuming full training. Grosso will retain a 4-3-3 shape to mirror Antonio Conte’s style in this clash, with Ismael Kone, Edoardo Iannoni, and Nemanja Matic stationed in the midfield setup.
In-demand defender Tarik Muharemovic will pair up with Jay Idzes at the heart of the defence, with Sebastian Walukiewicz and Josh Doig in the full-back roles for Sassuolo. With star man Berardi missing from action, Grosso will rely on Andrea Pinamonti to get the goals, with the striker likely to be flanked by Alieu Fadera and Armand Lauriente.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Muric; Walukiewicz, Muharemovic, Idzes, Doig; Kone, Iannoni, Matic; Fadera, Pinamonti, Lauriente
Key Stats
- Napoli have won their last six matches against Sassuolo in all competitions.
- Napoli have scored at least two goals in their last eight matches against Sassuolo in all competitions.
- Sassuolo are winless against Napoli in their last eight games.
- Sassuolo are winless in their last six games.
Player to Watch
Rasmus Hojlund
Hojlund is the kind of player that Antonio Conte and the fans will want to step up his game, as he is currently on a dry run in Serie A. Having scored against Cremonese twice, the Dane has gone four games without a goal since, during which Napoli have dropped points in three of those.
The game against Parma is what needed a difference maker for the reigning Serie A champions, and that may be valid again for the clash against Sassuolo next. Hence, Hojlund needs to up his game and start scoring to bring Bapoli back into the title mix.
Prediction
Napoli 2-0 Sassuolo
Sassulo are the underdogs coming to the home of the Serie A champions, and having not won in any of their last six games recently, the chances of an upset here are slim. Moreover, they have recently struggled against the big teams, and do not have a good recent record against Napoli.
Antonio Conte will want his players to feel the pressure of the title race, having lost ground recently. More importantly, Napoli cannot afford to draw a third consecutive home game, especially against a newcomer in the league, and the hosts are expected to take three points and keep touch with leaders Inter Milan.
