Serie A:  Napoli Can Still Compete for European Football Next Season

Napoli vs Torino

After the disastrous Walter Mazzarri experiment, Napoli have somehow turned things around under their new manager, Francesco Calzona, since they’ve been undefeated in his first three Serie A matches in charge.

The Partenopei are currently on a two-game winning streak, and they’re aiming to make it three on the bounce when they host Torino at the Diego Maradona Stadium on Friday night.

Napoli won’t be able to defend their Scudetto, but they’re still in the European mix for next season. They are currently seventh in the table with 43 points, which is eight points adrift of fourth-seeded Bologna and four points adrift of fifth-seeded AS Roma.

In contrast, Torino haven’t won their last three league games. As a result, they’ve fallen to 10^th place with 37 points.

Talking Points

Napoli got that “new manager bounce”

Francesco Calzona was appointed by Napoli just 48 hours before their Champions League Round of 16 tie against Barcelona, which makes the team’s recent resurgence even more impressive.

After securing a 1-1 draw against their La Liga rivals, Napoli also managed to draw 1-1 with Cagliari in Serie A.

But against Sassuolo, Napoli had a coming-out party, as they blitzed them with a 6-1 scoreline. In the said match, Amir Rrahmani, Victor Osimhen (hat-trick), and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (brace) all found the back of the net to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

And then on Monday, they passed a tough test against the league’s second seed.

After Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave Napoli the 1-0 lead, Federico Chiesa pulled one back for Juventus, but Giacomo Raspadori saved the day by scoring the winning goal after a missed penalty by Osimhen just before stoppage time.

Since Calzona took over at the helm, Victor Osimhen has found his groove for the Partenopei. The Nigerian hitman has scored five goals in his last four appearances, and he now has 13 goals and three assists this season to lead the team.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has also seen an improvement in his form since he has scored three times in the same period. The Georgian winger already has nine goals and five assists this season.

Torino badly need a turnaround

When Torino blew out Napoli at the start of 2024, they went undefeated in their next five league games (W2, D3). However, since losing 2-0 to Lazio, they’ve been on a downward trajectory.

In their three-game winless run, Il Toro have only scored twice and conceded five times, and now they’re having problems in midfield with both Ivan Ilic and Samuele Ricci unavailable for this clash.

Ilic was forced off inside 10 minutes against Fiorentina due to a knee injury, while Ricci is suspended for one match after he was sent off for back-to-back yellow cards during the first half.

Besides Ilic and Ricci, Ivan Juric won’t have the likes of Mergim Vojvoda, Perr Schuurs, Matteo Lovato, and Adrien Tameze due to injuries.

Duvan Zapata needs to keep firing for Torino to have a chance. The Atalanta loanee currently leads the team in scoring with eight goals this season.

History

Napoli actually lost to Torino in the reverse fixture 3-0 a few weeks ago, as they were reduced to 10 men when Pasquale Mazzocchi was sent off early in the second half. Antonio Sanabria, Nikola Vlasic, and Alessandro Buongiorno all found the back of the net for Il Toro.

Before that, Napoli recorded a 4-0 rout against Torino in March 2023, as Victor Osimhen (brace), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Tanguy Ndombele all scored.

If they win again this weekend, Torino will achieve a rare league double over Napoli. The last time they did this was in the 2008-09 season.

But the Partenopei are undefeated in their last 11 Serie A home matches against Torino (W7, D4), with the only home loss being a 2-1 result in favour of Il Toro in May 2009.

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Serie A 2024 odds have Napoli winning their third straight league game this weekend, as they’re priced at 1.89,while Torino are 3.92 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.14 in the 1X2 market.

With seven goals scored between them in their last two meetings, Serie A 2024 highlights are to be expected from this fixture, making alternative bets like Over 2.50 at 2.31 and Total Goal 4-6 at 4.17 viable.

Napoli may be favoured, but a victory for Torino cannot be completely ruled out. Furthermore, the result of the reverse fixture – a Correct Score of 3-0 in favour of the visitors – is being offered at a staggering 85.00 just in case you’re interested.

 

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