Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 23/20
Bookmaker: Unibet
The Serie A has become far more interesting over the last couple of seasons with Juventus no longer the undisputed owner of the Scudetto. The two Milan clubs, one after the other, managed to steal it, and Napoli remain close to the top as well.
In the third round of 2022/23, Napoli will travel to Florence to take on Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi Stadium on Sunday evening.
Fiorentina
There are several clubs not quite at the level where they would be fighting for the crown in the Italian game but aspiring to get as close to the top as possible. Fiorentina are one of them.
Having finished in seventh place the last time around, the Viola booked a place in the qualification process for the Europa Conference League, and there they faced Dutch side Twente. They won the first leg at home by 2-1 and held out for a goalless draw in Netherlands on Thursday, thus reaching the group stages.
This summer, there have been numerous changes in the playing squad. The biggest name to depart is arguably Federico Chiesa, whose loan to Juventus from last year has been made permanent. Defensive midfielder Erick Pulgar has joined Flamengo in Brazil, while goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski went to Spezia.
Striker Luka Jovic was signed from Real Madrid, as well as midfielder Rolando Mandragora from Juventus and right-back Dodo from Shakhtar Donetsk.
In the season opener, Vicenzo Italiano’s team celebrated a 3-2 home victory over Cremonese, with Jovic and Mandragora both quick off the mark as their goals followed that of Giacomo Bonaventura. In the second round, Fiorentina were held to a 0-0 draw away to Empoli.
Team News
Italiano is expected to shuffle his team a bit with the Twente match played just three days previously, with Jovic set to return to the starting XI in the place of Arthur Cabral.
Midfielders Gaetano Castrovilli and Szymon Zurkowski are unavailable for selection through injury, while Igor Julio, who was sent off at the death against Twente, has no suspension issues in domestic matches and is set to take his place in the back line.
Napoli
Much like Fiorentina, the team led by Luciano Spaletti will be aiming to do better than last season, the difference being that for them it means actually competing for the Serie A title. In 2021/22, they finished third, seven points behind champions AC Milan and five behind Inter in second.
Napoli saw their own squad go through some notable changes too. Several long-standing players, namely attackers Arkadiusz Milik (Olympique Marseille) and Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto), as well as defender Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea) have left. Forward Giovani Simeone has come in from Hellas Verona, as have midfielders Tanguy Ndombele from Tottenham Hotspur and Andre Zambi Anguissa from Fulham.
This season, Napoli have started as strongly as they could’ve hoped for, scoring nine goals in the opening two matches, and at the moment they’re topping the table. Only they, Inter and Roma have the maximum of six points at the moment.
Napoli first returned with a 2-5 win from Verona, and followed that with a 4-0 triumph at home over Monza. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck twice in that match, with Victor Osimhen and Kim Min-jae adding a goal apiece.
The Champions League draw this week saw Spaletti’s men drawn in Group A, where they will face old rivals Liverpool, along with Ajax and Rangers.
Team News
Midfielders Fabian Ruiz and Diego Demme won’t be taking part in this match, with the former training separately in a bid to secure a transfer away from the club, and the latter having suffered a broken foot.
Osimhen is set to lead the attacking line, with Kvaratskhelia and Lozano in support out wide and Piotr Zielinski behind. Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo will be on the right defensive flank, Rui should be on the left, and the pair of Amir Rrahmani and Kim should be in the heart of the line.
Conclusion
This should be an exciting contest between two teams of high quality. Though Fiorentina are no easy opponent for anyone, especially in Florence, Napoli appear too strong at the moment and it’s likely that the three points will head to Naples with them.
Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 23/20
Bookmaker: Unibet
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