Napoli will aim to take another step towards consolidating third place, as they take on a Torino side eager to get close to the top half.
The Serie A is once again shaping up the different battles across parts of the table, and in Napoli’s case, they are here to accept the reality of a top-four battle ahead of the visit of Torino on Friday. Since going back-to-back games without a win, including a loss to top-four hopefuls Atalanta, Antonio Conte’s men have bounced back with a crucial win over bottom-placed Hellas Verona.
An early Rasmus Hojlund goal gave Napoli the lead, but their inability to get a second allowed relegation favourites Verona to score the equaliser midway through the second period. It took a goal at the death from substitute Romelu Lukaku to secure the three points, and Conte would have certainly liked to wrap it up much earlier.
The Partenopei are currently third in the standings, holding a two-point advantage over AS Roma in fourth, while allowing the Milan clubs to fight it out for the title. Conte’s priority objective now is achieving third place and cementing their position in next season’s Champions League, as Napoli now host Torino at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Torino were unbeaten in four games across all competitions, which also included their cup exit at the hands of Inter Milan before they met Lazio. Goals from former Napoli loanee Giovanni Simeone and Duvan Zapata allowed new manager Roberto D’Aversa a stellar debut in the dugout, as his team took a decisive step to climb up the table.
Torino are still not out of the woods when it comes to relegation, as they sit in 14th place with only six points separating them from the relegation zone. With eleven games to go, many changes are anticipated at the foot of the table, including Torino slipping down near the danger zone.
Having secured a win in the reverse fixture against Napoli, Torino will aim for a double, but they have only managed to take a single point in their last four visits to Stadio Maradona. Overall, there are consequences for both teams should they fail to secure a win, but heading into this game on Friday night, Napoli could be seen as the slight favourites here.
Team News & Tactics
Napoli
Napoli received a triple injury boost following news of Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Frank Anguissa returning to full training. The game against Torino might come very soon for those returning stars, but Conte is now faced with a fresh concern.
Key midfielder Stanislav Lobotka could be forced to sit out the game on Friday with a muscular problem, which could see Billy Gilmour fill in for the Slovakian. Napoli continue to miss key stars like David Neres, Amir Rrahmani and skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo ahead of Friday.
Meanwhile, Højlund needs one more goal to achieve double figures in Serie A this season, as Conte could prefer the Dane ahead of match-winner Lukaku at the moment. However, Lukaku has a tremendous record of scoring nine times against Torino, and it remains to be seen whether Conte takes that into account ahead of this home clash.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Buongiorno, Jesus; Politano, Gilmour, Elmas, Spinazzola; Vergara, Alisson; Højlund
Torino
D’Aversa has a full squad at his disposal and has even seen a few of his key stars return from their respective injuries. For instance, Emirhan Ilkhan served his suspension and is back now, while Tino Anjorin and Che Adams are also available following their layoffs.
The only doubt is with Zakarian Aboukhlal, who missed the Lazio win with a knee issue, as his participation at the Stadio Maradona will be clearer closer to the start of the game. D’Aversa will prefer three at the back, with Guillermo Maripán, Adrian Ismajli and Saul Coco forming the defensive line.
Marcus Pedersen and Valentino Lazaro are expected to be stationed in the wing-back roles, with Nikola Vlasic holding the midfield together with Matteo Prati and Gvidas Gineitis on either side. The goalscorers from the Lazio win, Zapata and Simeone, will lead the line for Torino, as the latter will aim to score against his parent club in the process.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Paleari; Maripán, Ismajli, Coco; Pedersen, Prati, Vlasic, Gineitis, Lazaro; Zapata, Simeone
Key Stats
- Napoli are undefeated in their last 13 home matches against Torino in all competitions.
- Napoli have conceded in their last seven home wins.
- Torino have won just once in their last six games.
- Torino have not won at the Stadio Maradona since 2009, losing eight and drawing four of their last 12 visits here.
Player to Watch
Romelu Lukaku
In a season marred by injuries, the Belgian is slowly getting back into shape, and he will be crucial for Napoli in this late run-in to secure a top-four place. Moreover, Belgium will also hope he is fit and firing by the time the World Cup kicks off, but the attacker needs to find his form on the pitch, even though he will feel the fitness concerns are behind him.
Lukaku got back on the scoresheet with a winner against Verona the last time out, and that should galvanise him to a certain degree. However, considering Conte will not play him from the start against Torino, Lukaku must once again put in a decisive performance to get back to his optimal levels.
Prediction
Napoli 2-0 Torino
Torino might come into the game on the back of a decent win over Lazio, as D’Aversa will look to build momentum with another big result against Napoli. However, their overall form is not good, and that may count against them when they play at the Stadio Maradona.
Napoli, on the other hand, are eager to build momentum towards consolidating third place in the standings, and will do everything to secure a morale-boosting victory over Torino. With the number of games remaining in the season, Conte must secure this win and keep their distance over Roma, as they are expected to collect three points on Friday night.