JAKARTA - Napoli are determined to stay away at the top of the Serie A standings at home to Udinese on Sunday, February 9, 2025. After their closest rivals slip into the middle of the week, the victory at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona will put Antonio Conte's side six points ahead of his closest competitors.
On the other hand, Udinese, who have just won their first win since before Christmas, will try to score a surprise at Napoli's headquarters. However, with their poor record against Partenopei in recent seasons, this match is predicted to be a tough challenge for the visitors.
Napoli had an incredible season under Antonio Conte's tutelage. After experiencing an inconsistent period at the start of the season, they are now in their best form. Prior to their 1-1 draw against AS Roma last week, Napoli recorded seven consecutive wins in Serie A.
In a match titled Derby del Sole against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, Napoli had taken the lead through Leonardo Spinazzola's goal before finally conceding in injury time. The result did stop their winning trend, but retained Napoli's position as leader of the standings.
The joy for Napoli fans grew even more when Inter Milan, the main competitor in the title race, surprisingly lost 0-3 to Fiorentina in a postponed match. The defeat left Napoli at the top with a difference of three points and had the opportunity to widen the gap if they were able to win over Udinese.
Under Conte's leadership, Napoli have shown a solid defense and deadly attack. They have won nine of their 11 home games this season, scoring an average of almost two goals per game and recording six clean sheets.
Although Napoli did not have much activity in the January transfer market, their failure to bring in a replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia remained a topic of conversation. However, Conte is believed to still have enough quality in his squad to bring the team to the second Serie A title in the last three years.
On the other hand, Udinese came to this game with a bad record against Napoli. They have never won in their last 17 meetings in Serie A against Partenopei, with 14 of them ending in defeat. In fact, in the last 10 games at home to Napoli, Udinese has always lost and conceded an average of more than three goals per game.
However, there was a bit of fresh air for Udinese after they finally won last week. In the match against Venezia, Udinese almost threw away a two-goal lead before finally winning 3-2 thanks to a decisive goal from young player Iker Bravo.
The victory ended a streak of five games without a win (three draws, two losses) experienced by Kosta Runjaic's team. Now, they have the opportunity to record two consecutive wins for the first time since September.
However, a big challenge awaits Udinese as their away performance is so bad this season. Of the last nine away games in Serie A, they lost five times, including from teams like Cagliari and Empoli.
With this condition, getting a positive result at Napoli headquarters will certainly be a very difficult task for the visitors.
Napoli received good news with Alessandro Bungionno's return after more than a month of absence from injury. However, Antonio Conte will most likely still lower him off the bench, with Juan Jesus still duet with Amir Rrahmani at the heart of defense.
The only player confirmed to be out was Mathias Olivera, who still had to be sidelined until next month due to a calf injury.
Di lini depan, Romelu Lukaku akan kembali menjadi mainstayan. Striker Belgia itu memiliki catatan bagik melawan Udinese, dengan enam gol dalam delapan pertemuan di Serie A. Sementara itu, rekrutan new Noah Okafor berpeluang masuk dalam daftar pemain cadangan.
Udinese still hasn't been able to field a number of key players. Maduka Okeye, Isaak Toure, and Lautaro Giannetti main goalkeepers are still on the injury list.
However, they got additional power with the return of Kenian Davis and Kingsley Ehizibue who had recovered and were ready to play.
On the front lines, Lorenzo Lucca remains the mainstay. The tall forward has scored 17 goals since the start of last season, including eight goals with headers. He will likely be accompanied by Florian Thauvin or Alexis Sanchez in attack.
With Udinese's poor record against Napoli and the incredible home performance of Antonio Conte's side, Partenopei is clearly seeded in this match.
Napoli have a better squad depth and high motivation to stay away from their competitors at the top of the table. Meanwhile, Udinese still has to prove their consistency after the win against Venezia.
Estimated line-up:
Napoli (3-4-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus; Politano, Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Spinazzola, Lukaku, Neres.
Udinese (3-5-2): Salvador; Kristensen, Bijol, Solet; Ehizibue, Lovric, Karlstrom, Payero, Kamara; Thauvin, Lucca.
Final score prediction: Napoli 3-1 Udinese
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