Monday 30th November Kickoff: 2000hrs
Napoli v Inter Milan
Football – Italy – Serie A
The top two in Serie A clash at the Stadio San Palo on Monday evening, in a much anticipated clash between Napoli and Inter. One point separate the two club’s heading into this game and although Fiorentina could leapfrog them ahead of kickoff, whoever wins between these two will finish the (extended) weekend on top.
Napoli had to appoint a new manager after Rafael Benitez was lured to Real Madrid in the summer and whilst his replacement may not have been as well known, Maurizio Sarri has been very impressive during his short time in charge. Previously manager of Empoli, Sarri has led Napoli to within a point of top spot and they come into this game on the back of eight wins in their last nine league games and not having been defeated since the opening day of the season, in Serie A. Napoli have also secured top spot in their Europa League – a competition they got to the semi-finals of last year under Benitez.
Roberto Mancini has been in charge of Inter for longer than Sarri has Napoli, after the former Manchester City and Galatasaray coach returned to the San Siro for a second spell in charge back in November last year. It was a rather unforgettable comeback, initially, as Inter struggled to an eighth placed finish last season, looking in need of a great deal of work to get them back challenging for the title. With that in mind, it is somewhat surprising to see how Inter have propelled them into contention. The current pacesetters have – like Napoli – lost just one game this season, that coming in a thumping home defeat to Fiorentina at the end of September. Three draws have been followed by four victories since then, which has been a very good response from Mancini and his players.
Gonzalo Higuain has been one of the main reasons as to why Napoli are in the position they are in at the moment. The Argentinian has scored 10 goals in Serie A and four of those goals have been the decisive strike in Napoli victories. Two of those wins have come against Juventus and Fiorentina which are arguably the biggest wins of Napoli’s season thus far. It has often been a criticism levelled at the former Real Madrid player, that he has not produced when it has come to crunch moments, but he looks as determined as he ever has done. Missing crucial penalties both for club and country in the earlier part of this year has obviously been a great motivation for him.
Mancini enjoyed a lot of success in his first stint in charge at Inter, leading them to three, successive Serie A titles between 2005 and 2008. It would have been unthinkable to imagine that he could repeat that feat this time last year when they were losing regularly and failing to make any impact. It is still pretty unlikely that he can secure the same dominance, now, when you consider the strength of Juventus and emergence of Napoli and Fiorentina, but to have even made them competitive is something of an achievement. Although there is plenty of football left to be played, there’s no doubt that the whole club is much more optimistic compared to 12 months ago.
Napoli v Inter Milan Betting Tips
With only eight and seven goals conceded respectively in Serie A this season, Napoli and Inter Milan hold the best defensive records in the Italian top flight. The hosts have not conceded a goal in any of their last five league games, whilst the current leaders have shipped just one goal in their last six. Those stats would imply it is going to be a very close game on Monday, especially when you consider that Inter have managed just 16 goals this term, with only seven of those coming away from home. What also needs to be factored in, however, is that Napoli are one of the most threatening teams in Serie A – if not the most lethal. Fiorentina and Roma are the only two teams to have scored more than Sarri’s men and after a slow start to the campaign, the Napoli forward line are very much finding their stride.
Inter have already kept clean sheets at home to Roma and in the derby against Milan, but they looked completely unsure how to defend against the variety of the Fiorentina attack when going down 4-1. Napoli pose a very similar threat in that they have plenty of width and break at real speed. It will be very interesting to see what Inter have learned since that humbling defeat as they are bound to be tested.
Napoli have been a dynamic team for a number of years now but they definitely appear to have developed an inner strength and are more resilient this term. I think they will have too much for Inter, particularly in front of their own fans, and whilst I was tempted to back them to score over 1.5 goals (something they have achieved at home to Fiorentina, Juve and Lazio this season) I eventually sided with backing Higuain to score at anytime. The star striker notched in all those victories and as everything flows through him in an attacking sense for Napoli, he looks likely to have a big say once again
Higuain to score anytime 21/20 @ William Hill
