Udinese vs Napoli preview

September 20, 2014
By: Nemanja Lazarevic

Napoli vs UdineseHaving failed to get anything from the Juventus game, Udinese have to fare much better against Napoli, another team with big ambitions.

The Azzurri are out to make amends for the shock defeat to Chievo and win their second successive fixture on the road after beating Genoa.

While Udinese continue to recruit new players summer after summer, the effervescent captain Toto Di Natale remains the number one player on the teamsheet despite being 36 at the moment.

The veteran striker has scored all seven goals in victories over Ternana and Empoli, but he could do little to help the Zebrette avoid defeat at Juventus.

Udinese rarely impress in the opening rounds seeing as how boss Francesco Guidolin is forced to rebuild his squad every summer, meaning there is little value in odds of 3.60 (13/5) offered on home win.

Meanwhile, Antonio Di Natale is likely to prove a real nuisance for Napoli defenders as well, and he is 2.75 (7/4) with Betfair to score anytime.

Simone Scuffet, Maurizio Domizzi and Gabriel Silva continue to miss out, while Bruno Fernandes and Luis Muriel are vying for the second place in attack.

Probable starting line-up (4-3-2-1): Karnezis – Widmer, Heurtaux, Danilo, Piris – Guilherme, Allan, Badu – Kone, Fernandes – Di Natale.

Successive top 3 finishes in Serie A can be considered a step in the right direction for Napoli, but given the amount of money pumped into the squad, the Azzurri should be challenging for the league title.

While Rafael Benitez does seem to have enough quality in the ranks, the lack of consistency has proved to be a major issue, with the start of the new season a textbook example.

Napoli started the season brightly, defeating Genoa on the road, but just as they were expected to build on that result, the Azzurri were beaten at home by relegation strugglers Chievo.

The 3-1 Europa League win over Sparta Praha, where they came from a goal behind, should serve as a confidence boost, with Napoli priced at 2.30 (13/10) to win at Friuli.

Full-back Faouzi Ghoulam remains sidelined with an arm injury, whilst midfielder Jorginho is doubtful through a muscle problem.

Probable starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Rafael – Maggio, Koulibaly, Albiol, Zuniga – De Guzman, Inler – Callejon, Hamsik, Mertens – Higuain.

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