Udinese vs Napoli: Match Preview, Predictions, and Group Updates

Searching for a fourth consecutive Serie A win, reigning champions Napoli will go to mid-table Udinese on Sunday afternoon.

The Scudetto holders could also be making a robust defence of their home crown, however their Champions League destiny lies within the steadiness after a midweek defeat. 

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Match preview

Final week, Napoli conquered previous foes Juventus to put up 5 straight wins throughout all competitions, responding nicely to a change of formation and personnel led to by a number of absences.

Rasmus Hojlund‘s first Serie A brace determined a heavyweight conflict at Stadio Maradona, the place the hosts accomplished an unbeaten calendar 12 months by getting the higher of former boss Luciano Spalletti.

Having simply defeated his previous membership, Napoli’s present coach Antonio Conte then confronted fellow Chelsea alumnus Jose Mourinho on Wednesday night, aiming to reverse a dire run of outcomes on the street.

Nevertheless, after limply dropping 2-0 to Benfica in Lisbon, the Partenopei have misplaced their final 5 Champions League away video games whereas conceding 17 targets – and so they sit simply above the elimination zone with two league-phase fixtures remaining.

Certainly, 5 of Napoli’s seven Serie A defeats below Conte have come away from dwelling, together with all three within the present marketing campaign, so they’ll now journey north to Udine intent on defying that pattern.

Historical past actually suggests they will, because the Campanian membership are unbeaten in 18 league conferences with Udinese, whereas successful 14.

 

Not solely have Udinese did not beat Napoli on dwelling turf since 2015-16 – when Bruno Fernandes bagged a brace of their 3-1 win – they’ve additionally conceded a mean of practically two targets per sport throughout the final 10 conferences.

Moreover, the Fruilani come into this week’s contest amid a worrying hunch in kind, which has seen them slip down the standings.

Following 4 losses in six video games – conceding no less than two targets in every defeat – Kosta Runjaic‘s aspect are marooned in mid-table.

Simply days after exiting the Coppa Italia to Juventus, Monday’s league match towards Genoa provided a very good probability to say factors, significantly after Jakub Piotrowski‘s first Serie A aim levelled issues and arrange a grandstand finale.

Nevertheless, Udinese then conceded their thirteenth second-half aim of the season – a league excessive, together with rock-bottom Fiorentina – and the ninth on dwelling turf.

The Bianconeri’s subsequent guests will probably be eager to take advantage of such a weak point, so Runjaic could decide to tweak his gameplan on Sunday.
 

Udinese Serie A kind:

L W L L W L

Udinese kind (all competitions):

W L L W L L

Napoli Serie A kind:

W D L W W W

Napoli kind (all competitions):

L W L D W L

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Group Information

 

With Belgian duo Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne out long-term, Napoli have turned to different sources to spark their Serie A revival: each Hojlund and David Neres have notched 4 aim involvements over the previous three matchdays.

In the meantime, Eljif Elmas has been pressed into an unfamiliar function in central midfield, with Billy Gilmour, Stanislav Lobotka and Frank Anguissa all unavailable – along with goalkeeper Alex Meret. 

Now again in coaching, Lobotka and Spanish wing-back Miguel Gutierrez may make the bench this weekend, when Conte could also be tempted to clean up a crew that appeared jaded in Portugal.

Having misplaced final time period’s high scorer Lorenzo Lucca to Napoli in the summertime, Udinese’s assault ought to be led by Keinan Davis and Nicolo Zaniolo.

After limping out of final week’s cup loss to Juve, French midfielder Arthur Atta has been dominated out with a thigh downside.

As wing-back Hassane Kamara continues to be a doubt, Rui Modesto could also be requested to fill in on the hosts’ left flank; Jordan Zemura sustained a flexor harm on Monday.

Udinese doable beginning lineup:

Okoye; Bertola, Kabasele, Solet; Zanoli, Ekkelenkamp, Karlstrom, Piotrowski, Modesto; Zaniolo, Davis

Napoli doable beginning lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Di Lorenzo, McTominay, Elmas, Spinazzola; Politano, Neres; Hojlund

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We are saying: Udinese 0-1 Napoli

Although their shortcomings are sometimes uncovered in Europe, Napoli are likely to grind out constant outcomes towards Serie A’s lesser lights.

By extending their tremendous report in Friuli, the champions will lengthen Udinese’s downturn and put strain on co-leaders AC Milan.

For knowledge evaluation of the almost certainly outcomes, scorelines and extra for this match please click on right here.

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