Matchday 7 of the Italian Serie A kicks off on Friday with two exciting fixtures: Napoli hosting Como and Verona facing Venezia.
Napoli vs. Como
Napoli, under the guidance of head coach Antonio Conte, has made a strong start to the season, sitting atop the Serie A table with 13 points after six matches. The Azzurri recently cruised to a 5-0 victory against Palermo in the Coppa Italia, and their league form has been impressive, marked by a five-match unbeaten streak. In their last outing, they secured a 2-0 win against Monza, with Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia finding the net.
Historically, Napoli has dominated their encounters with Como, winning 17 of the 22 matches in Serie A. The last time the two sides met in the top flight was over two decades ago, with Como yet to earn a point in Naples. Despite missing first-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret due to injury, Napoli’s defense remains strong, boasting four clean sheets in their last five league games.
Como comes into this match following their first top-flight victory in 21 years, a thrilling 3-2 win over Hellas Verona. Striker Patrick Cutrone is in good form, having scored four goals this season, and Cesc Fabregas will be eager to continue the team’s upward trajectory.
Predicted Line-ups
Napoli: Caprile; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Kvaratskhelia.
Como: Audero; Van Der Brempt, Kempf, Dossena, Moreno; Perrone, Roberto; Strefezza, Paz, Fadera; Cutrone.
Verona vs. Venezia
In the second match, Hellas Verona, currently 14th with six points, is looking to turn their fortunes around after back-to-back losses against Torino and Lazio. Coach Paolo Zanetti’s side suffered a disappointing 3-2 defeat against Como, where a late red card changed the course of the game.
Verona has a strong recent record against Venezia, winning both of their previous Serie A encounters when Venezia was last in the top tier. Zanetti will need to strategize without key players Pawel Dawidowicz and Tomas Suslov, both suspended for this match.
Venezia, on the other hand, is struggling at the bottom of the table, sitting in 19th place with just four points. After a narrow 2-1 defeat to Roma, the Lagunari will aim to improve their dismal away form, having not won on the road in their last 11 Serie A matches. Captain Joel Pohjanpalo, who has scored in back-to-back games, will be crucial for Venezia’s attacking hopes.
Predicted Line-ups
Verona: include Montipo; Tchatchoua, Daniliuc, Coppola, Frese; Duda, Belahyane; Livramento, Kastanos, Lazovic; Tengstedt.
Venezia: Joronen; Idzes, Svoboda, Candela; Zampano, Ellertsson, Nicolussi Caviglia, Haps; Busio, Oristanio; Pohjanpalo.
