Napoli take on the visitors Como in the round 7 match of Italian Serie A. The match will be played on Friday, October 4th at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (Naples).
Napoli were the sensation of the season before last when Spalletti transformed the newly rebuilt team into the undisputed champions of Italy. However, by last spring, it was evident that the club was coasting to the long-awaited "scudetto" on inertia, and it’s no surprise that Luciano stepped down under a favorable pretext. Without him, Napoli plummeted to a disappointing 10th place. To fix the situation, the eccentric yet talented Antonio Conte was brought in. The team, significantly revamped once again (with Osimhen even agreeing to a move to Turkey), had a tough start—struggling against Modena in the Cup and suffering a 0-3 loss to Verona. But they started picking up wins, with only a 0-0 draw away to Juventus interrupting the streak. A 2-0 victory over Monza propelled Napoli to sole possession of first place.
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Como took a typical yet controversial path. The "Larians" have made several returns to Serie A in their history, including at the start of this century. However, they couldn’t stay long in the top flight, and subsequent sporting and financial issues pushed the club to the brink of survival. Fortunately, new owners, the Hartono brothers, arrived with not only ambitions but also the financial means and energy to ensure a quick rise in the ranks. Last season, Como finished 2nd in Serie B, which was enough to finally secure their return to Serie A after a couple of decades. However, the summer brought several questionable decisions. Cesc Fàbregas, with zero managerial experience, was appointed head coach. The club attracted a number of veteran players—Varane (who got injured in his debut and has since announced his retirement), Sergi Roberto, Moreno, Pepe Reina, Belotti, Cutrone, and others. But, as often happens, it was difficult to mold this into a cohesive, competitive unit. After being knocked out of the Cup on penalties following a 1-1 draw with Sampdoria, the team alternated between defeats and draws for the first four rounds. Then, out of nowhere, they pulled off a 3-2 win away at Atalanta in September and repeated that winning scoreline against Verona.
The newly promoted side has beaten the former champions three times in a row, but these matches took place in Serie B from 2002 to 2004. Conte’s side has gained momentum and looks solid. They should secure a comfortable home win against the newcomers, with a "handicap -1.0 goal" bet recommended.
Prediction for the match: Napoli to win with -1.0 handicap.
