Napoli vs Sampdoria

April 25, 2015
By: Nemanja Lazarevic

Revived Napoli will attempt to keep their Champions Legaue hopes alive by defeating Sampdoria at their Stadio San Paolo on Sunday evening. Meanwhile, the Bluecerchiati cannot afford to lose if they want to be playing European football next term, so chances are we are going to see a very interesting affair.

Back in business

Napoli have played some good football for large periods of the current campaign, but the disappointing run that started in March and lasted some six weeks seriously damaged their pre-season ambitions. The Azzurri were knocked out of the Coppa Italia while slipping to sixth in the league standings and it looked as though their top 3 bid was effectively over. Nevertheless, Napoli rediscovered their form in the best possible time, recording a 6-3 aggregate win over in-form Wolfsburg in Europa League, while also returning to the right track in Serie A. Big wins over Fiorentina and Cagliari saw the Azzurri close the gap behind Champions League positions to five points and with third-placed Roma going through a rough patch at the moment, it looks as though they stand a decent chance of mounting a serious top 3 challenge. It is clear that the team are playing with a lot more confidence at the moment and four very good performances in a row will keep them in good stead for the visit of high-flying Sampdoria. It remains to be seen whether Rafael Benitez will rest some starters after the midweek clash against Wolfsburg, but no doubt the hosts will give their best to win this game.

Christian Maggio is suspended, while Jonathan De Guzman and Camilo Zuniga are unlikely to feature. Michu remains a long-term casualty.

Sampdoria slowing down

Sinisa Mihajlovic’s Sampdoria are without a doubt the biggest surprise package of the season in Italian Serie A and it only remains to be seen whether they can enjoy a strong finish to the league campaign. And while Champions League qualification is no longer a realistic possibility, the Blucerchiati currently occupy a Europa League place, although sixth-placed Fiorentina are just one step behind. Following the impressive four-match winning run that included triumphs over Roma and Inter, Sampdoria suffered a minor dip in form, losing to Viola before sharing spoils with AC Milan and Cesena. With coach Sinisa Mihajlovic being heavily linked with a summer exit, it would appear as though the latest developments are affecting team’s performances, especially since a number of star players are on the radar of Europe’s top sides. Sampdoria will be looking to take advantage of Napoli’s busy schedule and get at least one point from Stadio San Paolo, but it is perfectly clear their current form cannot give them plenty of reason for optimism ahead of the trip to Naples.

Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic will again be able to field his strongest line-up considering that only back-up players De Vitis and Cacciatore are unavailable.

Verdict

Free-scoring Napoli are feeling quite confident at the moment and with Rafa Benitez expected to continue his rotation policy, the Azzurri should not feel too many ill-effects of the midweek clash with Wolfsburg. Sampdoria, on the other hand, are struggling for form and their poor run could continue for another week.

Top pick: Home win   1.53 (8/15) @ Paddy Power

Alternative pick 1: Napoli/Napoli   2.30 (13/10) @ Betfair

Alternative pick 2: Napoli to win to nil   2.75 (7/4) @ SkyBet

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