As the Serie A season enters a critical phase, league leaders Napoli are set to host Udinese at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday. This match presents an opportunity for Antonio Conte’s side to extend their lead at the top of the table following their closest rivals’ midweek slip-up.
Napoli come into this fixture on the back of an impressive run, having won seven consecutive Serie A matches before a dramatic late equalizer from Roma ended their perfect streak last week. Despite this minor setback, Napoli remain in pole position, with a chance to move six points clear at the summit.
Udinese, on the other hand, have struggled for consistency this season. They finally broke a winless run last weekend with a 3-2 victory over Venezia, their first win since before the Christmas break. Currently sitting in mid-table, Udinese will be eager to build on this result and potentially secure back-to-back wins for the first time since September.
History heavily favours the hosts in this fixture. Napoli have won their last 10 Serie A home games against Udinese, scoring an average of 3.1 goals per match. The visitors are winless in their last 17 league encounters with Napoli, suffering 14 defeats in that span.
Antonio Conte is likely to set up his Napoli side in their familiar 4-3-3 formation, with a focus on dominating possession and creating chances for their potent attacking trio. The midfield battle will be crucial, with Scott McTominay potentially playing a key role in breaking up Udinese’s attacks.
Udinese may opt for a more defensive approach, looking to frustrate Napoli and hit them on the counter-attack. The partnership between Lucca and either Alexis Sanchez or Florian Thauvin will be vital if they are to trouble Napoli’s resolute defense.
Team News
Napoli will receive a boost with the potential return of key defender Alessandro Buongiorno after a month-long absence. While Juan Jesus may still start alongside Amir Rrahmani, Buongiorno could make a substitute appearance.
Antonio Conte’s squad is nearly at full strength, with only left-back Mathias Olivera sidelined until next month due to a calf injury. Leading the attack, Romelu Lukaku aims to continue his impressive record against Udinese, having scored six times in eight Serie A encounters with the Friulani.
Udinese, meanwhile, will rely on their towering striker Lorenzo Lucca, who has netted 17 goals since the start of last season, with eight coming from headers. Alexis Sanchez and Florian Thauvin are vying to partner Lucca up front.
The visitors’ squad is bolstered by the return of Keinan Davis and Kingsley Ehizibue to full training, as well as Jesper Karlstrom’s availability after suspension. However, Udinese will still be without Isaak Toure, Lautaro Giannetti, and first-choice goalkeeper Maduka Okoye for the upcoming clash at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Expected Starting XIs
Napoli: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Neres
Udinese: Sava; Kristensen, Bijol, Solet; Ehizibue, Lovric, Karlstrom, Payero, Kamara; Thauvin, Lucca
Match Prediction
Given Napoli’s impressive home record and their historical dominance over Udinese, they enter this match as clear favorites. While Udinese showed signs of improvement in their last outing, the task of taking points from the league leaders at the Stadio Maradona seems a tall order.
Expect a tightly contested affair, with Napoli’s quality ultimately shining through. A 1-0 victory for the hosts seems a likely outcome, further cementing their position at the top of Serie A and potentially dealing a blow to Udinese’s hopes of climbing the table.
Prediction: Napoli 1-0 Udinese
