Following a couple of games without a victory (one draw, one loss), including a 1-1 stalemate with Inter Milan before the break, Napoli approach this weekend leading the Serie A table. However, with only two points separating the top six teams for just the second time in Serie A history after 12 matches, Antonio Conte’s squad urgently needs to return to winning form.
Returning to their home ground is the perfect opportunity to reignite their campaign, as Napoli have emerged victorious in five out of their six league fixtures at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this season (one loss), though that defeat came in their most recent match here against Atalanta (3-0). The Partenopei demonstrate a strong finish on home turf, having scored six of their 11 league goals beyond the 70th minute, and they also found the net seven times during this period in their last seven home head-to-heads.
Following a 3-2 loss to Bologna, marking their fourth defeat in five Serie A games (W1), Roma entered the international break just four points clear of the relegation zone. The last occasion the Giallorossi amassed merely 13 points after 12 matches was in the 2004/05 season, a campaign where they battled to avoid relegation. Consequently, it was no surprise that manager Ivan Jurić was relieved of his duties immediately after their latest fixture.
Claudio Ranieri is set to become Roma’s fourth manager in the 2024 calendar year and appears to be a promising choice. Only Luciano Spalletti (59%) and Rudi Garcia (57%) have a superior Serie A win percentage compared to Ranieri’s 56% among Roma’s managers. A key area for him to address is Roma’s slow starts to games, as they are one of only three teams who have yet to score in the opening 15 minutes of a league match this season.
Key Players to Observe: Following his goal against Inter, Scott McTominay is proving vital for Napoli, having netted four of his last five club goals as the first scorer in matches. In a similar vein, Artem Dovbyk has initiated scoring with five out of his six goals for Roma, although just two of these occurred within the initial 30 minutes of play.
Noteworthy Statistic: Napoli have achieved over fifty percent (ten) of their 19 league goals this season after the 60th minute.
