MX23RW : Saturday, August 22 05:44:14| >> :120:39331:39331:
Jul 19, 2020 at 6.30pm UK at Stadio San Paolo
NapoliNapoli
2-1
UdineseUdinese
Milik (31'), Politano (90+4')
Milik (38'), Koulibaly (78'), Demme (90+2')
FT(HT: 1-1)
De Paul (22')
Becao (14'), Walace (88')

Preview: Napoli vs. Udinese - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Serie A clash between Napoli and Udinese, including team news and predicted lineups.

Udinese face Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo on Sunday evening looking to put further distance between themselves and the Serie A relegation zone.

The visitors have won one of their last four matches and are only two places above the dotted line, while back-to-back draws for Napoli leaves them in sixth.


Match preview

Udinese may have a seven-point margin on the relegation zone, but the bottom four all face off this weekend and that gap could reduce should they taste defeat in Naples.

The Bianconeri held out-of-form Lazio to a goalless draw on home soil on Wednesday evening to put last week's 3-1 loss at the hands of Sampdoria behind them.

Luca Gotti's side have saved their best results for the road since last month's restart, having beaten Roma and bottom side SPAL in their last two away games.

Not since May 2013, when Francesco Guidolin was at the helm, have Udinese won three away games in a row in Serie A.

Napoli are unbeaten in their last seven games at home in all competitions, though, most recently playing out an entertaining 2-2 draw with AC Milan.

Udinese boss Luca Gotti in November 2019.© Reuters

They followed up that draw with another stalemate - Musa Barrow scoring late on to snatch Bologna a point in Wednesday's clash after Kostas Manolas had opened the scoring early on.

Milan have closed the gap on sixth-placed Napoli and are now level on points with them, though Gennaro Gattuso's side are already assured of a European spot by virtue of winning the Coppa Italia.

Indeed, that domestic cup success last month ensures that this will go down as a season to remember for Napoli regardless of what happens in their remaining league games.

Gattuso's side will already have one eye on August's rearranged Champions League last-16 second leg against Barcelona, with that one finely poised at 1-1 following the first leg.

Napoli will be eager to regain some momentum before then, and this fixture presents them with a chance to return to winning ways.

The Partenopei have won seven and drawn one of their last eight meetings with Udinese on home soil in a run stretching back to April 2011.

Napoli's Serie A form: WLWWDD

Udinese's Serie A form: LWDWLD


Team News

Arkadiusz Milik pictured for Napoli in December 2019© Reuters

Giovanni Di Lorenzo picked up a late booking against Bologna and is suspended for this match, so Elseid Hysaj will come in at right-back.

Gattuso has a decision to make up top, where Arkadiusz Milik was preferred to Dries Mertens last time out, while Lorenzo Insigne is also pushing for a recall.

Mertens has been directly involved six goals in his last three games against Udinese, scoring two and setting up four more.

Udinese will have to make do without the suspended Stefano Okaka, opening the door for Lukasz Teodorczyk to make just a second league start of the season alongside Kevin Lasagna.

After failing to score in his first four Serie A appearances against Napoli, Lasagna scored in both games played against the Partenopei in 2019.

Mato Jajalo and Rolando Mandragora are ruled out for the visitors, meanwhile, owing to a sprained knee and ACL tear respectively.

Napoli possible starting lineup:
Meret; Hysaj, Manolas, Koulibaly, Rui; Ruiz, Demme, Zielinski; Politano, Mertens, Insigne

Udinese possible starting lineup:
Musso; Becao, Maio, Nuytinck; Larsen, De Paul, Walace, Fofana, Sema; Teodorczyk, Lasagna


Sports Mole Logo

We say: Napoli 2-0 Udinese

Udinese have won back-to-back away matches but are without a victory in this fixture home or away in more than four years. Napoli have scored at least two goals in their last six home games in Serie A - their best run since 2014 - and we can see them getting back on the winning trail this weekend.


ID:406940:

Who will win Sunday's Serie A clash between Napoli and Udinese?

Napoli
Draw
Udinese
Napoli
88.6%
Draw
8.9%
Udinese
2.5%
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Inter Milan392510483364785
CJuventus38265776433383
3Atalanta BCAtalanta38239698485078
4Lazio38246879423778
5Roma382171077512670
6Napoli401981363531065
7AC Milan371891059451463
8SassuoloSassuolo38149156963651
9Hellas VeronaHellas Verona381213134751-449
10Fiorentina381213135148349
11Parma38147175657-149
12Bologna381211155265-1347
13Udinese39129183853-1545
14CagliariCagliari381112155256-445
15Sampdoria37126194761-1442
16Torino38117204668-2240
17Genoa38109194773-2639
RLecce3898215285-3335
RBrescia3867253579-4425
RSPALSPAL3855282777-5020

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