Napoli take on the visitors Sassuolo in the round 21 match of Italian Serie A. The match will be played on Saturday, January 17th at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (Naples).
Napoli already won the Scudetto under Spalletti. After that long-awaited success, there was a decline, but in 2024 Conte arrived and managed to beat Inter in the race for first place. Antonio has since added another trophy by winning the domestic Super Cup. At the same time, results in the Champions League have been modest so far, and in the cup they only edged past Cagliari on penalties after a long shootout. Performances in Serie A have also been rather inconsistent. There have been quite a few slip-ups, although rivals have had similar problems, so the real fight for first place is still ahead. However, their chances have taken a hit, as in recent rounds they drew not only with Inter, but also with the currently very modest Verona and Parma. Recent league form suggests that Napoli are struggling to convert control into victories. Still, their overall level remains high, and a strong response at home could quickly restore confidence and momentum.
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Sassuolo are fairly confident in meeting their objectives. The Neroverdi spent a solid decade in Serie A and even reached European competitions. However, in 2024 they suffered relegation to the second division. There, though, they secured clear leadership and returned to the top flight ahead of schedule. The obvious task now is to establish themselves again at this level. Overall, without particularly impressive performances or results, the newcomers still look competitive: they have only slightly fewer wins than defeats, the gap to the relegation zone is gradually increasing, and there are even realistic, not just theoretical, chances to fight for European places if they improve in the second half of the season. So far, however, the trend has been the opposite, as in recent rounds against Juventus and Roma they lost without scoring and with little resistance. These recent defeats underline the difficulties Sassuolo face against top opposition. Away from home, consistency has been lacking, which makes upcoming challenges especially demanding.
Napoli have been unbeaten for eight consecutive matches, and the 2-0 win in August marked the Partenopei’s sixth straight victory in head-to-head encounters. In these circumstances, the champions should take full advantage. The pick is a home win for Napoli.
Prediction for the match: Napoli to win.
