Napoli, under the leadership of Francesco Calzona, are poised to maintain their recent revival as they prepare to host Torino at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Friday evening in Serie A. This encounter marks the commencement of the weekend’s fixtures in Italy. The home team endeavors to sustain their upward trajectory, aiming to carry favorable momentum into their forthcoming Champions League fixture against Barcelona scheduled for next week.
Match preview
Following the underwhelming tenure of Walter Mazzarri, Slovakia’s manager Calzona has assumed the helm and promptly initiated improvements, albeit while still confronting lingering challenges.
In Calzona’s inaugural match, a 1-1 draw against Barcelona in the first leg of the last 16 tie, the team exhibited signs of adaptation to the new leadership, yet the opposition maintained dominance for extended periods, reflecting the short duration of the managerial transition.
Despite a subsequent 96th-minute equalizer thwarting Napoli’s victory against Cagliari, their recent performances have been notably commendable. Notably, Victor Osimhen’s hat trick propelled them to a resounding 6-1 victory over Sassuolo, followed by a 2-1 triumph against Juventus at the Maradona Stadium, with Giacomo Raspadori securing a crucial late winner.
Although Dusan Vlahovic squandered several opportunities for Juventus, Napoli secured a vital three points, positioning them in seventh place in the standings. However, attaining a top-four position appears improbable barring an exceptional run of results, given the current eight-point gap separating them from Bologna. Nevertheless, their standing augurs well for potential European football participation in the upcoming season.
Their upcoming fixture against Torino holds significance, particularly considering Torino’s previous 3-0 victory over Napoli under Mazzarri’s tenure earlier in the season. Despite Torino’s promising six-game stretch under Ivan Juric, recent performances indicate a faltering trajectory, with a noticeable disparity emerging in the standings.
Torino’s recent struggles, exemplified by a meager one point from their last three encounters against fellow European contenders, have seen them slip further from contention for a top-eight finish. With defeats against Roma and Lazio, coupled with a draw against Fiorentina, Torino now faces a six-point deficit against Napoli in the upcoming fixture.
Their offensive inefficiencies, evident in being among the lowest scoring teams, are indicative of a season marked by mid-table insignificance for the Granata.
Team News
Napoli faces a concern regarding the fitness of Amir Rrahmani following his premature departure from the match against Juventus due to a muscular issue. This setback has left Napoli’s defensive lineup uncertain for their upcoming fixtures.
Additionally, Jens Cajuste and Cyril Ngonge are sidelined for Napoli, thereby limiting their options for squad rotation ahead of the forthcoming encounter against Barcelona.
Despite missing a penalty in the Juventus match, Victor Osimhen is expected to spearhead Napoli’s offensive efforts, aiming to continue his recent prolific form which has seen him net five goals in four matches.
On the opposing side, Torino will be without the services of Ivan Ilic, who sustained a knee injury within the opening minutes of their previous game against Fiorentina. His replacement, Samuele Ricci, is also unavailable due to suspension after being sent off during the same match.
Both teams are dealing with defensive absences as Napoli’s Rrahmani and Torino’s Mergim Vojvoda are sidelined due to injuries. This compounds Torino’s defensive woes, with Perr Schuurs, Matteo Lovato, and Adrien Tameze already on the treatment table.
Napoli possible starting lineup:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Natan, Juan Jesus, Mazzocchi; Zambo Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Torino possible starting lineup:
Milinkovic-Savic; Djidji, Buongiorno, Rodriguez; Bellanova, Linetty, Gineitis, Vlasic, Masina; Sanabria, Zapata