Serie A: Napoli Aim to Bounce Back Against Udinese

Udinese vs Napoli

Second placed Napoli take their Scudetto campaign to Giulia on Saturday where they face ninth placed Udinese in a big, big game for the men of Naples.     

Antonio Conte’s team lost 1-0 at home to Lazio last week and that was a serious blow to their title hopes after they went into the weekend top of the pile. And with only three points separating the top five teams there is very little margin for error, and so this is a game I Partenopei simply must win.     

Udinese boss Kosta Runjaic saw his side win 2-1 away to Monza last week and they will return to the 25,000 capacity Stadio Fruili with growing confidence; and that makes Serie A: Udinese vs Napoli a tantalising prospect. But to be frank, neither team is in particularly good form so let’s take a look at the latest Udinese vs Napoli updates and our SBOTOP tips for this match, which could well have a big impact at the top of the table.    

 

Talking Points

Udinese waiting on Sanchez

There was plenty of excitement when former Barcelona, Arsenal and Inter Milan forward Alexis Sanchez signed for Udinese in the summer, making a return to the club where he made his name way back in 2006. Now 35 the Chilean legend is only likely to play cameo parts but he is a world class talent who can turn a game; but an injury he picked up just two weeks after he signed has kept Sanchez out of action so far.

Udinese’s win over Monza was their first since October and, during the long winless run,  Runjaic would have liked nothing more than to bring Sanchez on to lift the younger players and maybe produce a moment of magic. The latest news from the club suggests he is getting nearer and Sanchez could be in action by the New Year, but he is unlikely to feature before then. In the meantime, 31 year old skipper Florian Thauvin is the man shouldering the responsibility and he is leading by example. The France international has scored three goals and made two assists, while summer signing Lorenzo Lucca is top scoring with has five goals. At 6ft 6in Lucca the 24 year old is a real threat in the air and this year he picked up his first Italy cap.

Lucca put Udinese ahead against relegation battlers Monza but his team made hard work of a game which the 19^th placed club dominated for long periods and equalised through defender Giorgos Kyriakopoulos, but Slovenian star Jaka Bijol gave Udinese all three points. A powerful centre back who can also play in midfield, Bijol will have a busy afternoon against Napoli, and I don’t see him joining the attack to often on Saturday.      

 

Napoli’s goal drought continues

Conte is a superb tactician and a pragmatic manager; he knows how to set a team up, and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of his opponents but he can’t put the ball in the net; and neither can his strikers at the moment!  

Last week’s clash at home to Lazio gave Napoli a chance to exact some revenge after the Romans had dumped them out of the Coppa Italia just three days earlier. But I Partenopei fluffed their lines. 12 shots is a modest return for a home side but one on target is pitiful and Napoli must find a way to score again, otherwise they will fall off the pace. Atalanta have been on a charge and Inter Milan are lurking, so a tally of just four goals in six games is simply not good enough. The form of Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the arrival of Scott McTominay propelled Napoli to the top, while Romelu Lukaku looked back to his best and it falls to these three, along with Mateo Politano, to make something happen in the final third.      

 

History

There have been 23 Napoli victories, 14 draws and nine wins for Udinese in all the head to head encounters since 1993. Last season this fixture ended in a 1-1 draw while Napoli won the return 4-1; and in 2023 this was the scene of I Partenopei’s Scudetto triumph as a 1-1 draw was enough for them to secure the title.  

With one win, one draw and four defeats from the last six games the hosts’ form is poor, while Napoli have not been pulling up trees recently with two wins, one draw and three defeats.    

Udinese have a home league record of four wins and three defeats and don’t expect a stalemate this weekend.  

 

Betting Tip

There will be plenty more to come with our SBOTOP Serie A 2024 coverage this year but this feels like it could be a pivotal moment in the title race. It’s a moment Napoli can’t afford to muck up and I don’t think they will. 

Udinese can be backed at 4.16 to make it back to back wins or 3.16 to draw at home for the first time this season, and the double chance: home win or draw is priced at 2.09.

I don’t know whether the floodgates will open for Napoli but I expect them to win and so, for a correct score-line, I’d go for a 1-0 away win at 5.22.

   

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