Napoli will welcome Monza to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this Sunday as both sides battle for three points in the second league game of the season.
Venue: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (Naples)
Key Statistics
Napoli kept a clean sheet in three of their first four home league matches last season.
The hosts have won each of their last five league games.
They have scored 3+ goals in four of their last five league games.
Monza were only the 12th-best Serie B team away from home last season (W6, D6, L7).
However, the visitors recorded seven victories across their last ten away competitive outings (L3).
No Serie A team scored more than Napoli’s 11 home goals in the opening 20 minutes last term.
Head to head
Both teams have one win apiece in four competitive meetings.
Latest performances in all competitions
Napoli: W-D-W-D-D
Monza: L-W-W-W-W
Napoli
After a summer of few incomings and a lot of outgoings, Napoli fans were beginning to worry that they will be unable to sustain the momentum they have built up in recent seasons.
The hosts had a lot of key players Kalidou Koulibaly, Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens and were not optimistic about what the season holds.
But an entertaining 5-2 win over Verona in the opening weekend has eased some of those fears. The result ensured that Luciano Spalletti’s side won their first league game of the season for the sixth consecutive season and was the first time they had scored 5+ goals in a seasonal Serie A opener.
The result also put them top of the table ahead of other title rivals who scored fewer goals. And so the target now will be for them to keep their place at the top of the table. And there is no better place to do it than at home against the newcomers.
Last season followed their opening day win with seven wins while keeping clean sheets in three of their first four home games. So, they will fancy their chances of going on another extended winning run to give them a chance in the title race.
Possible Napoli starting line-up
Alex Meret; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Kim Min-jae, Mario Rui; Andre Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Piotr Zielinski; Hirving Lozano, Kvaratskhelia, Victor Osimhen.
Injured: Adam Ounas
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Monza
Monza marked their promotion to Serie A for the first time in their history with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Torino last weekend.
The visitors won promotion to the top-flight of Italian football by beating Pisa on penalties in the playoffs.
After investing heavily in their squad this summer, they are looking to maintain their status as a Serie A team. Although they have begun poorly by losing their first game, it is too early to conclude on their chances of surviving.
With several summer acquisitions being left out of their loss to Torino, there is hope that things can improve quickly with manager Giovanni Stroppa confident he’ll be given time to find his feet at this level too.
With seven victories across their last ten away competitive outings (L3) the newcomers will be mildly confident of recording an excellent result in this fixture.
Possible Monza starting line-up
Michele Di Gregorio; Marion Santos, Pablo Mari, Carlos Augusto; Samuele Birindelli, Filippo Ranocchia, Andrea Berberis, Mattia Valoti, Marco D’Alessandro; Gianluca Caprari, Andrea Petagna.
Injured: Davide Bettella
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Prediction
Napoli 4-0 Monza
