Serie A: Napoli Aim to Dominate Top Two Clash

Napoli vs Juventus

Napoli take on Juventus at the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona on Friday night in a bid to stretch their lead at the top of the league to 10 points, but they face a resurgent Bianconeri who will present the biggest test so far to the Partenopei’s nerves.       

The Serie A game between Napoli and Juventus is the standout clash of the Italian football weekend, and if the hosts can avoid defeat then their dream of a long awaited Scudetto will be well and truly on.

Luciano Spalletti’s side recovered from a loss to Inter Milan with a confidence boosting 2-0 win away to Sampdoria, and now they need to follow that up.  

Since Max Allegri returned to the helm at Juventus, he has had a big impact. Their start to this season was poor, but he has turned things around quickly and the Turin giants come into the game on an impressive run.

Juve made it eight wins on the bounce with a 1-0 victory at home to Udinese last week and they have put that sequence together without conceding a single goal.

If Juventus can turn their hosts over on Friday and reduce the gap at the top of the league to four points, that will put the cat among the pigeons.

Talking Points

Osimhen is back to his best

The Serie A 2023 betting odds back a Partenopei victory and one of the biggest reasons is the return to top form of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen. The sought-after hitman scored his 10th goal in 13 league games against Sampdoria, while Eljif Elmas added the second to seal the points.

Osimhen’s form is all the more critical as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has suffered a short dip in form. The Georgian winger is still only 21 and comparisons with departed legend Lorenzo Insigne were made as he raced to six goals and five assists in the first half of the campaign.

Friday night gives Kvaratskhelia the ideal opportunity to recover his form against Napoli’s closest challengers and, if he clicks, then it could be another great night for the Azzurri fans. 

Spalletti knows he needs to keep strengthening to hold off the competition in the coming months, and he has put a bid in for Moroccan ace Azzedine Ounahi but his current crop of stars has done a fine job so far.   

Old Lady is up for the big game

There has been quite some turnaround in Turin and Allegri’s blend of youth and experience is proving to be a potent combination and they have no fear of the big game, winning six and drawing two of their last eight matches against teams which started the day at the top of the Serie A table.

The return of Federico Chiesa has been a big boost to the team and his speed of movement and thought is often Juve’s biggest chance of unlocking a defence.

And when he came off the bench against Udinese, he brilliantly teed up Danilo’s 86^th minute winner. That goal enabled the Old Lady to leapfrog AC Milan into second place and announce herself as a serious Scudetto contender.

30-year-old Serbian winger Filip Kostic was a shrewd addition in the summer, while midfield ace Adrien Rabiot showed just what a good player he is with France at the World Cup. And alongside Manuel Locatelli, they form a powerful midfield partnership.    

Alex Sandro will be the man tasked with keeping Osimhen quiet and it’s a huge challenge, but the Brazilian has been imperious during Juventus’ run of clean sheets.   

History 

I Bianconeri have had the better of the head-to-heads with 27 wins to Napoli’s 16 over the last 30 years.

But Napoli have won their last three games against Juventus in Naples. And with a home record of seven wins and one draw this season, they have made the Stadio Diego Maradona a fortress. 

Juventus’ Serie A 2023 results have been superb, and over the past six games stronger than their hosts, with five victories and a draw compared with Napoli’s three wins and three defeats in all competitions.

It all adds up to being a fascinating battle and could be pivotal in the race for the 2023 Scudetto.  

Betting Tip

Napoli are favourites to win this tie at SBOTOP odds of 1.96, and the draw is at 3.16 with Juventus at 3.73. It’s a tricky game to call since the Partenopei was in electric form before the World Cup and became clear favourites to win the title.

The sound in the Stadium will be deafening and Juventus will have to withstand an Azzurri wave. The visitors have been on a superb run, but have not been sweeping their opponents aside, often grinding out wins and I can see this being the end of their winning run. 

A 2-1 home win, at odds of 6.95, is a good outside bet and one which would spark wild celebrations in Naples.

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.