Juventus – Napoli

The Neapolitans will earn points in the match against the Turin side.

Napoli secured a resounding victory over Monza in the previous round. The Partenopei were already ahead at the Brianteo thanks to Højlund’s goal in the 10th minute. The Azzurri eased off so much that they conceded near the end of the first half. In the 43rd minute, Gustavo Varela equalized for the Brianzoli. Antonio Conte’s side came out highly motivated for the second half. Politano restored Napoli’s lead as early as the 48th minute. The Partenopei did not settle for just one goal. Goals from Marin and De Bruyne secured a convincing away win for the team. In the previous round, Conte’s side had shared the points with Roma in a high-scoring match. Juventus have been extremely inconsistent and proved it once again. In the previous round, the Bianconeri faced Genoa at the Luigi Ferraris. A goal from Ekhizibue put the hosts ahead as early as the 12th minute. The Genoese side did not sit back and instead set out to prove that their previous goal had not been a fluke. In the 28th minute, Baldanzi doubled the Griffins’ advantage. Although the Turin side had several excellent chances after the break, they failed even to score a consolation goal. Last season, the sides exchanged victories. In the first-leg match, the Partenopei won 2–1, while in the second meeting the Turin side prevailed 3–0. It is worth noting that this is the Bianconeri’s only victory over Napoli in their last five head-to-head encounters. Both teams have underperformed according to their key statistical metrics. According to xG, the Partenopei should have scored 3.45 more goals, while their xPTS total should have been 4.75 points higher. According to expected goals, the Turin side could have scored 3.31 more goals. In terms of points, the Bianconeri are 4.82 points short of their expected total. Luciano Spalletti’s side have already faced teams of Napoli’s caliber at home. Their meeting with Milan ended in a 1–1 draw, while Lazio scored three times against the Old Lady. Spalletti himself gave a rather lengthy comment after the defeat to Genoa. He summed up the entire interview by saying that his team did not have much time to take a “small step forward.” Juventus will prepare for this match at their training ground. Napoli have improved significantly in terms of their play. Their recent results suggest that the Azzurri are in no way weaker than their opponents. The Partenopei are heading to Turin ready to fight for points.