Sampdoria vs Napoli

Sampdoria are home to take on Napoli in their week 22 match at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris at Marassi. The blucerchiati will be looking to bounce back from a loss away from home last week while Napoli will be trying to build off of their impressive win against Udinese. The injury bug has hit Napoli this week as they are expected to miss up to 6 starting players.

Samp are currently in 8^th place of the Serie A table with 28 points. They sit 1 point back of 7^th place Atalanta and just ahead of 9^th place Palermo. They were away to SS Lazio last week at the Stadio Olimpico and fell by a score of 2-1. Despite the loss, Sampdoria have still been playing better overall football lately as evidenced by the fact that they had conceded just 2 goals over their prior 4 games. Now they return home where they have lost just once this season in 10 matches with 6 wins and 3 draws. The list of injured players remains the same with Montella, Sammarco and Volpi still out. Manager Mazzarri is set to go with a 3-5-2 featuring the club’s leading goal scorer Bellucci, with 9 goals, starting alongside Antonio Cassano.

Napoli picked up a big victory at home last week when they held serve over Udinese by a score of 3-1 at the Stadio San Paolo. The win snapped a 4 match winless run for Reja’s side which saw them pick up just 2 points over that stretch. With the win over Udinese the partenopei are now in 11^th place of the league table with 27 points. They are 1 point behind 10^th place Genoa and 4 points ahead of 12^th place Catania. This week Napoli will be at quiet a disadvantage given that 6 starting players will be out of action due to injury and suspension. The players out injured are Domizzi, Garcis, Iezzo, Savini and Cupi while Cannavaro is out suspended. This will force Reja to go with a completely revised 3 man back line of Grava, Contini and Santacroce. As if the injury situation were not bad enough, Napoli have managed just 1 win away from home this season.

Given how depleted Napoli will be in this match the edge goes to Sampdoria in this contest. When you factor in that Napoli have won just one match away from home all season in 10 tries, Sampdoria are an even bigger favorite.

Prediction: Sampdoria (2-1)

Napoli vs Udinese

Napoli are back home at the Stadio San Paolo to take on and Udinese outfit who are currently in line for UEFA Champions League position. The two sides have struggled of late however and have combined for just 1 win over their last 10 matches respectively.

The partenopei have been slipping up of late and have gone winless over their last 5 matches. Things reached a new low in week 20 when they lost away to last place Cagliari by a score of 2-1 at the Stadio Sant’Elia. The loss drops Reja’s club to 11^th place in Serie A with 24 points for the season. They are 1 point up on Catania and 1 point back of Genoa. This is a very troubling league position given that they had been within the top 7 clubs of the league table for most of the season. The injury list for Napoli this week includes Savini, Domizzi, Cupi and Iezzo while Reja has confirmed he’ll stay with the 3-5-2. Marcelo Zalayeta and Ezequiel Lavezzi will start in attack.

Udinese were held to a 0-0 draw at home in their last match to league leaders Inter Milan at the Stadio Friuli. The draw drops the side managed by Marino to 5^th place in the Serie A with 33 points. They sit 4 points back of Fiorentina and 3 ahead of the resurgent AC Milan. Marino has been doing a great job this season and the side is well within striking distance of a UEFA Champions League spot despite a current run which has seen them win just 1 match from their last 5 played. Asamoah remains out with Ghana at the African Cup of Nations, while it has been confirmed that right side midfielder Mesto will be out for up to 2 months. Ferronetti is set to take his spot on the right flank. De Martino, Pinzi and Obodo round out the list of players who will not be available due to injury. There are no suspension concerns.

Napoli really need to win this match. The two sides are pretty even in terms of talent and strength but it is the home side that need the points in order to snap their slide. Udinese are winless over their last 2 matches without scoring a goal and have scored just once in their last 3 matches. Look for Napoli, and Lavezzi in particular, to pull through in front of the home crowd.

Prediction: Napoli (2-1)

Napoli vs Lazio

Napoli and Lazio will face each other for the second time in 3 days with this match taking place at Napoli’s home, the Stadio San Paolo. The partenopei will be looking to exact revenge after the Romans knocked them out of the Coppa Italia.

The side managed by Reja currently sit in 8^th place of Serie A with 23 points on the year. They are one point back of Sampdoria who are 7^th and 1 point ahead of Atalanta. Napoli are coming off of an ugly loss last week away to AC Milan at the San Siro by a score of 5-2. It was the first time this season that Milan have been able to win at home. The club will be missing 2 players this week as Uruguayans Marcelo Zalayeta and Walter Gargano are both suspended. These are big absences as Zalayeta leads the club in scoring while Gargano is their most important defensive midfielder. However, the Argentine combination of Roberto Sosa and Ezequiel Lavezzi provide Napoli with 2 top of the like strikers so the loss of Zalayeta will be absorbed.

Lazio come into this contest in 15^th place of Serie A with 18 points, just behind Livorno on goal difference. While they lost their last league match at home to Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico di Roma, they did held serve against Napoli at home in the Coppa Italia and advanced to the next round. The biancocelesti have been struggling away from home this season with just 1 win from 8 matches. The biggest absence this week for manager Delio Rossi is striker Stephen Makinwa who is at the African Cup of Nations in Ghana. In addition, striker Rocch is dealing with an injury and is not expected to be able to start at Napoli. Instead, he will be on the bench with Igli Tare taking his spot alongside Goran Pandev.

This is a big match for Napoli. They fell they crashed out of the Coppa Italia due to a lack of concentration and will be looking to correct those mistakes. Lazio got the result they needed in the Coppa Italia and their poor road record sets them up for a let down this week.

 

Prediction: Napoli (2-1)

 

AC Milan vs Napoli

The Alexandre Pato era begins at the Giuseppe Meazza as AC Milan are home to Napoli still in search of their first home victory of the season in Serie A. The turn of the calendar from 2007 to 2008 has been reason for much optimism this week for the rossoneri. The visiting Napoli have been held to draws in their last 2 matches and will be looking to escape with another one from the San Siro this week

The side managed by Carlo Ancelotti are currently in 12^th place of the league table with 18 points on the year. This leaves them 1 point back of 11^th place Genoa and just ahead of Parma on goal difference. Their form at home this season has been awful with just 5 draws and 2 losses to show from 7 matches. They are coming off of a tough loss away to their hated rivals of Inter Milan in the derby by a score of 2-1. There is however, hope and much excitement this week for the Milan supporters as new Brazilian signing Alexandre Pato is set to make his debut. Meanwhile Ambrosini will come on for the suspended Gennaro Gattuso.

As for Napoli, they are in a respectable 7^th position of the league table with 23 points. They are 2 points back of Palermo and 1 ahead of 8^th place Atalanta. They are coming off of a 1-1 draw at home to Torino at the Stadio San Paolo. The club has not been too successful away from home this year with just 1 win and 3 draws from 8 matches. Manager Reja will be missing his leading scorer this week in Marcelo Zalayeta who is out suspended for 2 matches. Still, Roberto Sosa provides more than adequate cover to go along with fellow Argentine superstar striker Ezequiel Lavezzi in attack.

The biggest question mark coming into this match is how much of an impact Pato can have on his debut for Milan. Milan not having won a match at home all season long is a major cross for the club to bear. Look for Milan to finally break through and defeat Napoli this week.

Prediction: Milan (1-0)

Napoli vs Torino

Napoli and Torino clash this week in a direct confrontation between clubs that are both coming off of midweek Coppa Italia matches. Torino had a good experience in their midweek match as they beat AS Roma while Napoli lost to Roma’s other Serie A club, SS Lazio. The two sides drew their last Serie A matches a week ago.

The side managed by Reja were held to a 1-1 draw away on their visit to Siena at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in week 16. With the point earned the partenopei are now in 7^th place with 22 points, just 2 points back of Palermo and a UEFA Cup slot. Napoli are winners of just 2 of their last 5 matches with both of those victories coming at home. In fact, they are winners of 3 straight matches at the San Paolo. Their loss to Lazio earlier this week was by a 2-1 score in the away leg which puts them in decent shape to get through to the next round of the Cup if they can take care of business at home. The good news for Reja is that he will be able to count on what pretty much will be a full strength side against Torino. Savini and the Argentine Lavezzi both return from suspension meaning that Marcelo Zalayeta, who leads the club with 7 goals, will be reunited with Lavezzi in attack.

Torino played AS Roma twice over the span of 5 days. In the first meeting they were held to a 0-0 draw at home at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino for their Serie A match. The following match saw them defeat Roma 3-1 behind 2 goals from Uruguayan Alvaro Recoba. Ironically, Recoba’s 2 goals in that match are just 1 shy of matching Torino’s entire offensive output over their last 7 league matches. They are winless over those 7 matches with just 2 draws to show for their efforts with only 3 goals scored. Their last win came back in October at the expense of last place Cagliari. That stretch sees them sit in 15^th place of the league table with 16 points, 1 behind Lazio. The news continues to get worse for the granata as this week manager Novellino will be missing Rubin, Motta, Comotto and Lanna to injury. This leaves Torino without any fullbacks for this match. They will look to improvise by playing Dellafiore and Vailatti out of position.

Napoli appear poised to continue their strong play at home and make it 4 straight victories at the San Paolo. Torino did beat Roma this week but it was by no means the giallorossi’s strongest 11 and the fact that they have only been able to score 3 goals over their past 7 matches only puts more pressure on their back line to play error free football. Look for Napoli to hold serve at home.

Prediction: Napoli (2-0)

Atalanta vs Napoli

Atalanta Bergamo play host to Napoli at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia in week 14. It’s a match up of two sides even on points and within a whisker of the European Competition slots. This will be the first meeting between the two sides since 2004 when they were both in the second division.

The home side Atalanta come into this match following a 2-1 loss away to league leaders Inter Milan last week at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza at San Siro. With that result the Bergamaschi saw their modest 5 match unbeaten run halted. The result also allowed Napoli to leap-frog over them into the 6^th position of the Serie A league table. Atalanta are in 7^th place with 18 points and sit just behind them on goal difference.

Napoli are having a blast in this their first season back in the top flight since 2001. They are playing above all expectations thanks to a number of low profile signings who are turning in excellent performances. While many were aware of Uruguayan Marcelo Zalayeta from his days with Juventus, Argentine Ezequiel Lavezzi and fellow Uruguayan Walter Gargano have established themselves as rising stars in Serie A from seemingly out of nowhere. So much so that players such as Bogliacino and Sosa, who were regulars starters over the past two seasons for the club, now watch from the bench. Napoli held serve at home by a score of 2-0 over Catania last week with the aforementioned Zalayeta netting both goals.

There will be a few players missing on the Atalanta side this week. Manager Del Neri will be without the suspended De Ascentis and Simone Inzaghi in addition to the injured Rivalta. The good news is that Langella is back and will be able to take his spot on the left side of midfield. Napoli are at the other end of the spectrum with absolutely no injury or suspension concerns and will be at full strength for this match.

While Atalanta do have the advantage of being at home this week, they have only won 2 of 5 home matches so far this season. By the same token, Napoli have won just 1 of 6 road matches while losing three. Prior to last week, Atalanta had gone unbeaten in 5 matches while Napoli had been winless for 3. If Atalanta are going to make a move in the league table, this is their chance to pass Napoli. In addition, even a full strength Napoli will find that playing Atalanta away is nothing like hosting Catania.

Prediction: Atalanta 1-0

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