With the Scudetto dream gone, Napoli will face out-of-sorts Bologna at the Diego Maradona Stadium, eager to lock down a runner-up spot in Serie A. Antonio Conte’s men are on the verge of securing a coveted Champions League qualification, but they cannot take anything for granted just yet.
With fifth-placed Roma clinching a last-gasp win at Parma yesterday, Napoli cannot afford a slip-up here, with only three points separating the sides ahead of tonight’s kickoff. However, the Partenopei’s patchy form can hardly inspire much confidence, as they bid to bounce back from a scoreless draw at Como last weekend.
That result marked Napoli’s third winless Serie A outing in their last four (D2, L1), intensifying the pressure on the four-time champions ahead of this fixture. Bologna’s epic downfall bodes well for Conte’s side, as the visitors head into proceedings on a three-game winless league run (D1, L2), most recently sharing the spoils with bottom-half Cagliari at home.
Bologna’s rough patch has all but extinguished their European ambitions. Vincenzo Italiano’s men currently trail seventh-placed Atalanta by nine points, meaning a win here would only delay the inevitable, as it’s hard to expect La Dea to lose their last two league matches, especially after beating Milan at San Siro last night.
Napoli
Despite missing out on a second consecutive Scudetto, Conte can still count this as a successful season. In addition to hoisting the Supercoppa Italiana title in January, Napoli are on the brink of claiming a 22nd league triumph for the 11th time in the last 14 top-flight seasons – a feat they had not achieved in any of the previous 66 editions.
Furthermore, Conte has rebuilt the Partenopei’s home fortress. Except for a 2-0 defeat to Lazio in mid-April, Napoli have gone unbeaten in 27 of their last 28 Serie A games at the Maradona Stadium (W20, D7), where they will be playing two of their final three league games this term. On that basis, a strong end to the season appears to be on the cards for the former champions.
However, Conte’s charges have often struggled for conviction this term, with 14 of their 21 Serie A wins coming by a single-goal margin. The trophy-laden manager wouldn’t mind another narrow victory, especially considering his team has failed to beat Bologna in five of their last six meetings in Serie A (D3, L2), including a 2-0 defeat in November’s reverse fixture.
Bologna
Seeking their first league double over Napoli since the 2001/02 season, Bologna must find a way to overcome their form issues, having lost three consecutive matches before sharing the spoils with Cagliari. Each of those defeats yielded a multi-goal margin, with Aston Villa, Juventus, and Roma putting Italiano’s side to the sword.
That poor run of results stems from the Rossoblu’s inability to get on the scoresheet, as they risk failing to score in four straight Serie A games for only the third time in the last ten seasons. A 2-0 loss to their upcoming rivals in the Supercoppa Italiana final at the start of the calendar year hints at another scoring blank.
Still, Bologna have fared impressively on the road, racking up seven wins from their last nine away outings in all competitions. However, the only two defeats in that sequence came on their two most recent road trips, with the Rossoblu ominously conceding six unanswered goals in the process. If it’s any consolation, Bologna’s fast starts have seen them open the scoring in five of their last six Serie A away games.
Long-term absentees David Neres and Romelu Lukaku remain on the sidelines, yet Antonio Vergara has resumed full training and will be in contention for the squad. Conte is more likely to stick with Alisson Santos on the left wing, with the Brazilian expected to line up alongside Kevin De Bruyne behind long striker Rasmus Hojlund.
As for Bologna, Nicolo Cambiaghi, Martin Vitik, and Nicolo Casale are unavailable for this trip. Joao Mario has rejoined the squad, while first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski could make the bench after a seven-week layoff. Therefore, teenager stopper Massimo Pessina is in line for his fourth Serie A start.
Napoli (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Politano, Lobotka, McTominay, Gutierrez; De Bruyne, Alisson; Hojlund.
Bologna (4-3-3): Pessina; Zortea, Lucumi, Helland, Miranda; Ferguson, Freuler, Moro; Orsolini, Castro, Rowe.
Despite Napoli’s patchy form, it’s impossible to overlook Bologna’s epic downturn, as we back the home side to add to the Rossoblu’s misery and consolidate their position in a fiercely contested top-four race.
Prediction: Napoli to Win
