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Three key Napoli games in their hunt for the Serie A title

Napoli’s deflating title defence left them battered and bruised, but the appointment of Antonio Conte as head coach brought hope.

The Italian is one of the best in the best and returned determined to prove a point.

Unsurprisingly, Napoli sit atop the Serie A log following 21 games after giving rivals Atalanta a 3-2 beating in Bergamo to put some gap between themselves and La Dea.

However, the race is far from over. Champions Inter Milan are the biggest threat to their title candidacy.

Three points away from Conte’s side with a game in hand, they follow Napoli bumper to bumper.

With six consecutive wins under their belt, Napoli are in prime position to edge out Inter and claim their fourth Serie A title.

The Partenopei have already swatted aside some of the biggest teams in Italy.

Those who bought Napoli vs AC Milan tickets from Seatsnet.com will fondly remember the 2-0 win at San Siro Stadium back in October.

But there are still some crucial games to play in the run-in. Read on as we analyse three crucial match-ups the Partenopei must navigate in the hunt for the title.

Napoli v Juventus – January 25

Juventus were supposed to be in this Serie A battle with Inter and Napoli, but 13 draws have left them in fifth place.

However, the Bianconeri can play a decisive role in where the Scudetto will go when they travel to Naples on January 25.

The reverse fixture ended 0-0 in Turin after an exciting game that barely yielded clear-cut chances. 

Juventus will be looking to dent Napoli’s title ambitions even though Napoli seem to have more in their weaponry.

Romelu Lukaku is Napoli’s dangerman, and the Belgian has already bagged eight goals and six assists. He is keen on adding to that tally when they take on Juventus.

At the other end, Napoli are water-tight. They boast the best defensive record in Serie A and will back themselves to keep a blunt Juventus quiet.

One reason Juventus have recorded many draws is their inability to convert all their exciting play under Thiago Motta into goals.

The oft-injured Dusan Vlahovic blows hot and cold while Teun Koopmeiners has struggled to adapt, leaving the goalscoring burden on youngsters Kenan Yildiz and Samuel Mbangula. 

Napoli will be particularly wary of those two widemen when they face, but as they showed in the first leg, they can shut Juventus out.

Their recent head-to-head record also favours Napoli, with the Partenopei winning three of their last five meetings (D1, L1). 

The last time Juventus earned a win over Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona was in 2019, when goals from Emre Can and Miralem Pjanic allowed Juve to win 2-1.

Conte has a terrible record against his former side, losing six out of nine games against the Old Lady (W1, D2).

Conte will be out to change the narrative next week. A win over Juventus is crucial and significantly eases the path towards that fourth Scudetto. 

Lazio vs Napoli – February 16

Three weeks after taking on Juventus, Napoli travel to Rome to lock horns with Lazio, a team that always seems to get the better of Napoli. 

Earlier this season, Lazio sent Napoli crashing out of the Coppa Italia in spectacular fashion.

The 2022/23 champions were coming off massive wins against Torino and Roma but still received a beating.

Tijjani Noslin bagged a hat-trick as Lazio advanced to the next round. The Romans outfought and outworked their counterparts and deserved their victory for a dogged display. 

However, Napoli immediately got their chance at redemption as they were billed to face Lazio in the league just three days later.

Napoli were at home and motivated to beat Marco Baroni’s side, but they were stunned, stung by a 1-0 Lazio win.

Both teams had half chances. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa struck the post for their sides.

Lazio would take the lead through Gustav Isaksen. Noslin was Napoli’s bane again, releasing the Dane, who curled a gorgeous hit beyond Alex Meret in the Napoli goal.

Lazio won 1-0 and will hope to replicate that performance on home soil.

Tipped to struggle this season, Lazio are punching above their weight in fourth, and Napoli may not have it their way in this tie.

Lazio have won three of their past five Serie A meetings with Napoli.

Their last fixture at the Olympic Stadium ended in a 0-0 draw, and Napoli must bring their A-game if they want three points from this clash. 

Conte will take confidence from Lazio’s recent stuttery form. They have managed only two wins in their last six games.

They drew struggling Como and Atalanta and lost to arch-rivals Roma. Lazio also received a 6-0 mullering at home at the hands of Inter. 

Napoli should be angling for maximum points. This Lazio team is there for the taking, and Conte needs to conjure his magic to end their run of disappointing results against the Biancocelesti. 

Napoli vs Inter – March 2

On March 2, top contenders Napoli and Inter Milan clash in a game that could decide where the Scudetto goes. Inter make the trip to Naples with three crucial points on the agenda.

Their meeting in the reverse fixture was a tightly-contested affair, and this one should be no different. Scott McTominay gave Napoli an early lead, turning home an effort on 23.

Inter were struggling to break Napoli down and resorted to shots from outside the box, and they have some capable shooters in their ranks.

Nicolo Barella caught a sweet volley that trickled past the post in the first half, but Hakan Calhanoglu made no mistake from around 30 yards. 

The Turkiye international midfielder can hit them, but this one was special.

He cut in on his right foot and aimed, arrowing an exquisite shot that swerved beyond the goalkeeper to tie the score.

Napoli clung on for dear life as Inter poured forward for their winner, testing Meret twice through Federico DiMarco.

Inter received a last-gasp penalty, but Calhanoglu hit the post (his first miss for Inter after 20 attempts).

Napoli and Inter have cancelled each other in their last two matches, but even though it is the most likely outcome, both sides will be gunning for three points in Naples.

The last time they faced off in the Diego Maradona Stadium, Inter Milan got the better of Napoli, claiming a 3-0 scalp thanks to goals from Marcus Thuram, Barella, and Calhanoglu. 

These sides are capable of cancelling each other out on the day, but with so much riding on this game, both teams will be seeking three points as it would bring them a step closer to the title.

For Napoli, assuming they remain at the summit, this game is a chance to put some daylight between themselves and the chasing pack.

Winning the Serie A title would be the perfect rebound from last season’s woes, and they need to find a way to take down Inter at home.

 

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