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The fight for a Champions League slot continues in Serie A. Juventus host Napoli in a high voltage clash on Wednesday.
With the first league meeting between the two sides being postponed due to unavoidable circumstances, Juventus and Napoli lock horns for the second time in the season as the race for a top-four finish heats up in Serie A. Juventus got the better of Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana while Napoli notched up a home win in what was was supposed to be the reverse fixture at the first place.
The first scheduled meeting between the sides was cancelled. Napoli failed to turn up with the minimum squad due to coronavirus infections. Gennaro Gattuso’s side failed to travel to Turin and were handed a 3-0 loss as a penalty by the league committee. The club appealed to the IOC executive committee, and the decisions were revoked.
Juventus come into the fixture after a rather shaky and troubled run under Andrea Pirlo. The veteran Italian manager himself declared in the post-match presentation that his side was somewhat predictable in the Derby della Mole clash with city rivals Torino. The 2-2 draw was after a painful defeat to relegation-threatened Benevento. The Old Lady have also been eliminated from the Champions League by FC Porto (4-4 on aggregate).
However, all is not bleak for Juventus. With the Coppa Italia final scheduled in May, Pirlo, whose stay at the club looks to be near its bleak ending, could leave the club by winning valuable silverware. Club veterans Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon are also without contract extensions. A defeat to Napoli will shatter the top four hopes of Juventus to a large extent. Former manager Max Allegri is rumoured to replace Pirlo soon.
Napoli scraped through a 4-3 win over relegation-threatened Crotone before the Juventus fixture. Napoli’s impressive run has allowed them to garner 16 points from just nine fixtures, thus taking them right into the mix for a Champions League slot.
Napoli also managed to garner some big domestic results with wins over AC Milan and AS Roma under Gattuso before the Crotone win and are certainly high on confidence.
Juventus will miss the services of Leonardo Bonucci and Merih Demiral, who both tested positive for COVID-19 while Napoli have no major injury or suspension concerns.
Players to look out for:
Alvaro Morata: the Spaniard has been crucial so far the Old Lady throughout the Serie A. Despite being not at his best in terms of finishing, he has redeemed himself as a provider. Morata has created ten goals so far in the league and scored on seven occasions himself. Though operating primarily as a centre forward, Morata can drop down to the wings and midfield to help his team get the ball back.
Matthias de Ligt: his presence at the back will provide significant impetus to a Juventus side that has been conceding a lot in the current season. De Ligt likes to play with the ball and can shift from his usual centre-back role and join his team in midfield to create openings for the forwards and even go all the way himself.
Dries Mertens: the Belgian has scored eight goals and assisted six goals himself in the ongoing Serie A. Mertens primarily plays as a centre-forward or an outward striker. However, Gattuso has used the Belgian as a left-winger or a retrieving striker on several occasions. Mertens is known for his powerful shots and pace with the ball and will cause issues for a rather shaky Juventus defence.
Lorenzo Insigne: partnering with Mertens upfront, Insigne has been the most vital cog in the Napoli setup. The Italian has found the back of the net on 14 instances and created five goals as well. Insigne’s finishing skills in front of the goal has allowed Gattuso’s side to come back from behind and win games. Insigne will support Mertens down the left-wing and go central if needed. He has sheer control on the ball which makes him one of the most prolific creators and wingers in the league.
Prediction
Juventus vs Napoli fixtures have always gone down to the wire. Despite Juventus having a fragile team form, the Old Lady will be up for the task against an inspired Napoli side. Both teams are on the same number of points from the same number of games played, speaking volumes of the competitiveness of both the teams. A win for any of the sides will put them back into the reckoning for the Champions League.
