Roma vs Napoli preview

April 3, 2015
By: Nemanja Lazarevic

Roma vs NapoliDespite ending the barren run of results, Roma are in danger of missing out on a top 3 finish and they, therefore, need to try and defeat Napoli on Saturday.

The Azzurri now sit five points behind Champions League places and this could be one of the last chances to improve their top 3 hopes.

The shocking run of results in the second part of the season saw Roma effectively end their title bid and get eliminated from Europa League, but that is not all.

While the Giallorossi currently sit just one point above local rivals Lazio, fourth-placed Sampdoria have closed the gap to five points, meaning team’s Champions League qualification is in danger as well.

Roma finally ended the disappointing streak as they recorded a hard-fought win over relegation-threatened Cesena, but Rudi Garcia’s charges cannot afford to relax just yet.

The good news is that their next opponents are also struggling for form, so it is not surprising that the Giallorossi have been made 2.30 (13/10) favourites to claim maximum points.

Captain Francesco Totti faces a fitness test as he battles a muscle injury, while Gervinho has been ruled out with a muscle problem.

Daniele De Rossi and Miralem Pjanic return to the side, but Balzaretti, Castan, Ucan, Maicon, Keita and Sanabria are all unavailable.

Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): De Sanctis – Florenzi, Astori, Manolas, Holebas – Pjanic, De Rossi, Nainggolan – Ljajic, Doumbia, Iturbe.

Less than two months ago, Napoli were sitting pretty in third with a substantial advantage over their rivals for Champions League positions, but things have changed considerably since.

The Azzurri hit the poor run of form, winning just one of last six league matches, quickly seeing their top 3 hopes go up in smoke.

Nothing is lost yet as there are still another ten games to go, but a morale-boosting win is a must if Napoli are to get this season back on track.

The Azzurri have done fairly well on the road this term, winning 6 of 14 away matches, and they are 3.70 (26/10) to win at Stadio Olimpico.

There have finally been some good news for coach Rafael Benitez as the likes of Ivan Strinic, Faouzi Ghoulam, Walter Gargano and Raul Albiol are back in contention.

This means that forward Michu is the only unavailable player, while Manolo Gabbiadini should be recalled to the side.

Probable starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Andujar – Maggio, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam – Lopez, Gargano – Callejon, Hamsik, Gabbiadini – Higuain.

We Highly Recommend These Places
Share your Opinion!