Napoli vs Como
Napoli will look to consolidate their lead at the top, as Antonio Conte’s men will battle it out with Cesc Fabregas’ Como at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Saturday.
The league leaders are gunning for a fifth win in seven Serie A matches, whilst Como, after going winless in their first four games in the league, have now won two straight—slowly proving to everyone that they do belong in Italy’s top flight.
Two first-half goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Matteo Politano propelled I Partenopei to a home win against Monza in their last result. Before that, a 5-0 destruction of Palermo at the Coppa Italia wowed the fans in Naples, as Conte continuously solidifies Napoli’s stake as the best club in Italy today.
So far, only a goalless draw against Juventus and a humbling from Hellas Verona were the only times that the three-time Serie A winners dropped points.
Como, on the other hand, are doing everything they can with what they have. Fabregas’ side have already lost an important signing in Raphael Varane due to the player’s desire to retire following an injury before the season started.
Currently 10th on the table, I Lariani are faring quite alright so far.
Talking Points
Antonio Conte is a magician at work
No one can question the credibility and skill of Antonio Conte when it comes to a managerial role; he has won trophies with Juventus, Inter Milan and Chelsea.
Sure, criticisms are aplenty when it comes to those who think his style is too rigid or pragmatic. But the fact remains that he is a winning coach and Napoli are currently benefitting from his top-class experience.
Tasked with bringing the 2023 champions back to the summit of Italian football, I Partenopei hired Conte after a horrid 2023/24 season where the club finished 10th.
And after a resounding 3-0 loss against Verona, Conte made sure to adjust and he hasn’t looked back since.
In all the games they have played so far, Conte has regularly played a 3-4-2-1 formation (switched to a 4-2-3-1 on a couple of occasions). But in the recent win against Monza, a 4-3-3 formation was seen, effectively showing Conte’s flexibility in enforcing tactics against different oppositions.
Despite the strong Serie A 2024 results so far, the 55-year-old remains realistic with their goals.
“I know that there are high expectations for me because I have done important things. Let’s let the fans dream, but I have to keep my feet on the ground,” he said in an interview.
Como’s close calls
I Lariani have given their supporters some heart-pounding moments in their last two matches.
Tight wins over Atalanta and Verona—both ended 3-2—were enough to put them in the top half of the table, albeit it won’t be for long as the tight-knit Serie A becomes unpredictable as each matchweek passes.
Against Atalanta, Como conceded first as Davide Zappacosta scored a goal from outside the box 18 minutes into the match.
Como would then hit the home side with three goals in the second half (all in the space of the first 15 minutes), with Gabriel Strefezza, Sead Kolasinac (OG) and Alieu Fadera.
A late penalty for Atalanta made it 3-2 with a few ticks left in added time.
Then onto their home match versus Verona, where Patrick Cutrone’s brace helped I Lariani take the edge against a 10-man Verona after Tomas Suslov was sent off for a second yellow card.
With the brace, Cutrone now has four goals in the league, making him joint-first with four other players.
History
Napoli and Como have played 32 times across three competitions in their history, with I Partenopei leading the head-to-head advantage (21W-6D-5L).
Out of these matches, 22 games were played in Serie A, eight in Serie B and two in Coppa Italia.
However, Como were the winners of their last contest (2-0) back in 2004.
Betting Tip
With their blistering form as of late, the SBOTOP Serie A 2024 odds obviously favour Napoli (1.43) as the winners for this one, with a Como win priced at 6.10 and a draw at 4.19.
And whilst Como have done well for themselves in their past two games, the league leaders—especially at home—will be too much for them.
My senses are telling me that Napoli are going to control this one from the get-go and will have Fabregas’ side on the back foot for most of the time. And whilst they may not score in bunches, a goal or two in the first half could most definitely seal all three points for Naples.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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