Napoli take on the visitors Real Madrid in the round 2 match of UEFA Champions League group stage. The match will be played on Monday, October 3rd at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (Naples).
Napoli don't show readiness to defend the Scudetto. The Partenopei became the champions of the country. Honestly, this was unexpected. Yes, Spalletti, as always, ensured significant progress for his team, but many leaders left the project in the summer of 2022 for various reasons. However, they were excellently replaced, including the acquisition of Hwang. As a result, a strong start to that season provided such a cushion that they prematurely secured the long-awaited Scudetto even in the face of a spring decline. However, even before the final confirmation of this triumph, there were talks of Spalletti's desire to leave, and that's exactly what happened. He was replaced by Rudi Garcia, but he only managed a decent start with convincing victories over Frosinone and Sassuolo. Then came the setbacks, starting with a 1-2 loss at home to Lazio. Nevertheless, they were lucky in the Champions League, securing a victory against Braga with an own goal in the 88th minute.
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The Galacticos find themselves in a unique situation, at least for them. Firstly, in the previous season, the Galacticos noticeably declined in both the Champions League and La Liga compared to the 2021/2022 results. Secondly, Ancelotti, whom Florentino Perez didn't dismiss even after such a decline (although, as everyone understands, their relationship isn't the warmest), will definitely move on to become the coach of the Brazilian national team after just one year. Moreover, they replaced the departing Benzema and the injured Courtois with temporary options, Jose Lu and Kepa, respectively. However, they did spend over 100 million on Bellingham, who not only played brilliantly in August and September but also scored a lot. This helped the Los Blancos to start La Liga with a series of wins. They struggled to extend this in the first round of the Champions League against Berlin's Union, but they managed it only in the very end, with the only goal being scored again by the English newcomer! However, there was a setback afterward, notably in the derby, where they lost 3-1 to Atletico, showing that the Royal Club is not in great form.
The first time Real faced Napoli was in the European Champions Cup format back in 1987 – a victory and a draw. Thirty years later, in 2017, already in the Champions League playoffs, the Los Blancos won both matches. The chances of both teams are considered equal, with Partenopei even giving a slight advantage. However, experienced Galacticos are clearly not willing to accept this, so we would dare to suggest that the Spanish visitors won't lose here.
Prediction for the match: Real Madrid not to lose (X2).
