Napoli vs Roma: Preview and Prediction
Napoli and Roma will lock horns with each other in a high-octane clash at the Stadio San Paolo in Matchday 33 in Serie A. Gli Azzuri are third in the points table and would be eyeing a victory to not lose sight of the title. Mourinho’s men, on the other hand, occupy the fifth spot and would love to don the role of a party-pooper.
With six losses already in their campaign, Napoli wouldn’t want to derail their momentum after a strong start to the season. They have 66 points from 32 matches and are behind leaders Milan by five points.
After consecutive defeats to Milan and Juventus, Roma has rejuvenated itself by staying unbeaten in the Serie A since then. They have 57 points from 32 games in their bag and have made their intentions clear to claim the final UEFA Champions League spot on offer.
Current Form
Napoli saw their three-game winning streak come to an end through the hands of Fiorentina as the latter pipped them 3-2. They have conceded 11 goals in the last 7 matches while finding the back of the net 13 times in the same number of games.
They emerged victorious four times in the process, with Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen scoring on five occasions. With fixtures against mid-table clubs like Empoli, Sassuolo, and Torino ahead of them, Napoli would want to regain momentum as quickly as possible.
Roma head into the match on the back of a dominating 4-0 win over Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals. Their form in Serie A is staggering as well with the last defeat coming all the way back in January.
Roma has remained unbeaten for the last 11 Serie A fixtures and collected all the three points in eight of those matches. They have hit top gear on both the sides of the ground by scoring 8 times and conceding only twice in their last five outings.
Head to Head Record
The two sides squared off against each other a total of 30 times, with Napoli coming out on top on 12 occasions. Their opponents, Roma, too gained the upper hand 12 times while 6 encounters between them ended in a draw.
The last time the two clubs locked horns the result was a goalless draw. Napoli dictated the possession but was able to muster only 3 shots on target. Although Roma had only 37% possession, they did enough to eke out a draw.
Team News
Victor Osimhen was awarded the Serie A player of the month for March 2022
Cameroon international midfielder Andre Zambo Anguissa will be eligible to return to Napoli’s starting line-up after serving his one-match suspension. Meanwhile, right back Giovanni di Lorenzo and striker Andrea Petagna have started mild training as per the club’s official website but it remains to be seen whether Luciano Spalletti would give them a start.
Kevin Malcuit and Adam Ounas’ names continue to remain on the injured list while Napoli’s 25-year-old goalkeeper Alex Meret left a training session midway due to gastroenteritis. Stanislav Lobotka, who had a sub-par game in the middle of the park and had to be substituted at half-time against Fiorentina, might make way for the returning Anguissa.
Jose Mourinho is likely to regain the services of left-back Leonardo Spinazzola, who suffered an Achilles tendon injury in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals against Belgium. He returned to Roma’s matchday squad for the fixture against Salernitana but his name was missing against Bodo/Glimt.
In case Spinazzola makes his way back to the starting line-up, Gianluca Mancini will have to satisfy himself by sitting on the bench. Having played a match just three days before, Mourinho might bring in the likes of Sergio Oliveira and Jordan Veretout. If that is the case, Bryan Cristante and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be the ones making out in Roma’s unconventional 3-4-1-2 formation at the centre of the park. There are no injury and suspension worries for both Roma and Napoli.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Napoli (4-3-3): David Ospina; Alessandro Zanoli, Amir Rrahmani, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mário Rui; Fabián Ruiz, Andre Zambo Anguissa, Piotr Zieliński; Matteo Politano, Victor Osimhen, Lorenzo Insigne
Roma (3-4-1-2):Rui Patricio; Leonardo Spinazzola, Chris Smalling, Roger Ibañez; Rick Karsdorp, Sergio Oliveira, Jordan Veretout, Nicola Zalewski; Lorenzo Pellegrini; Nicolò Zaniolo, Tammy Abraham
Prediction
Roma has form in their favor and the probable return of Spinazzola will only make their starting line-up stronger. Zaniolo bagged a hat-trick while Abraham is firing on all cylinders in Serie A. It looks unlikely that the Napoli defense can stop them from scoring a goal or two.
Napoli themselves enter the match on the back of a prolific goal-scoring form, with 9 goals from 4 games. But, their tendency to leak goals may cost them some points again. Moreover, Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has never beaten Jose Mourinho. Hence, we predict a 3-1 win for Roma.