Serie A: Roma and Napoli in Battle for Fourth

AS Roma vs Napoli

All roads lead to Rome on Sunday night where a huge clash is on the agenda when Serie A: Roma vs Napoli kicks off at 8-45 local time.

Atalanta currently holds the coveted fourth place but in fifth and sixth, and locked on 50 points, either Roma or Napoli could move into fourth should they win this mammoth clash and Gian Piero Gasperini’s side falters away to ninth placed Hellas Verona.

Napoli will arrive at the Stadio Olimpico full of confidence and with more preparation time than their hosts who have been struggling with injuries and have a Europa League commitment in the Ukraine on Thursday night.

Talking Points

Roma squad is still stretched

Paulo Fonseca’s Roma are working hard to keep pace with the top four having picked up two wins and two losses over the past four league games. A shock 2-0 defeat to Parma last weekend saw I Giallorossi drop to sixth place as Napoli exchanged places with them with a win.

Roma have been dogged by injury problems recently, missing four key players in their loss to Milan three weeks ago, including defender Chris Smalling and striker Edin Dzeko, and they will be without some important figures when they face Napoli. Top scorer Jordan Veretout, who has ten goals and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will both be absent. The former Manchester United ace has had a superb season, weighing in with nine goals and eight assists and he’ll be a big miss.

The forwards will rely on wing back Leonardo Spinazzola for crosses. He has contributed five assists, and the returned Dzeko, in particular, will need a good supply of ammunition.

But to add to Fonseca’s woes full back Bruno Peres will sit this one out with a ban.

Serie A Update: AS Roma's Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be out for 3-4 weeks — AS Roma’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan with teammates during their Europa League match vs Shakhtar Donetsk

Napoli’s run coming with perfect timing

Gennaro Gattuso’s Napoli have embarked on a good run of form at a perfect time in the season. They started sluggishly but have gathered momentum during the campaign and ten points from the last four games have lifted Gli Azzurri to the brink of the Champions League qualifying places.

A 1-0 victory over AC Milan last week, thanks to a goal from Matteo Politano, derailed the Rossoneri’s title hopes. It was Politano’s eighth league goal of the league season and, alongside the ever reliable Dries Mertens, he’s given valuable support to top scorer Lorenzo Insigne.

The Napoli skipper has scored 13 goals, the seventh highest tally in the league and he’s been in imperious form. Strike partner Hirving Lozano remains injured but Napoli’s squad is in significantly better shape than their opponents.

But, just as Roma are missing their right back for disciplinary reasons, Gattuso is without Giovanni Di Lorenzo in the same circumstances.

History

The head to head Roma vs Napoli results give Fonseca’s side the edge with 20 victories to Napoli’s 13, in all the games played since 1993, though Napoli fans have the happiest recent memory.

Shortly after the death of Azzurri legend Diego Maradona Napoli won 4-0 when the two sides met in Naples back in November. The hosts dominated on an emotional night as Insigne opened the scoring with a brilliant free-kick. Fabian Ruiz and Mertens added two more before Politano finished the Romans off with a goal worthy of Maradona as he dribbled past three defenders and the goalkeeper.

England fans will remember how the great man did that to their team when Argentina beat the Three Lions at the 1986 World Cup!

Recent form is fairly comparable with both sides winning four from the last six, though two of Roma’s wins have come in the Europa League against sides they would expect to beat.

But Fonseca’s team has been superb at home in the league, winning ten, drawing three and losing just once, while Napoli will arrive in Rome unbeaten in five.

Betting Tip

	AS Roma vs Napoli	Napoli Asian Handicap 0.00 @ 1.99
	March 22, 03:45 (GMT+8)

This match is incredibly hard to call and here at SBOTOP we can hardly split the two teams, with our latest Roma vs Napoli betting odds at 2.51 for a home win and 2.63 for an away win with the draw at odds of 3.11.

While Napoli exited the Europa League at the Round of 32 stage, Roma were in action on Thursday night with a trip away to Shakhtar Donetsk. Though they have a comfortable three goal advantage Roma could do without a trip to Ukraine and that could work in Napoli’s favour.

Fonseca’s squad will be stretched and tired and while 1-1 is the most likely score-line, if it goes one way or the other I suspect it will be towards Naples.