Napoli vs Ajax – Preview, H2H, Line-ups, Prediction | UCL 2022-23

Victor Osimhen-Napoli

Napoli will play host to Ajax at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as they kick-start their Champions League return leg games.

Venue: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (Naples)

Key Statistics

Napoli have won their last eight games in all competitions.

They are unbeaten in their last 16 games (W14, D2).

The hosts have only lost one home game in Europe’s premier competition since the beginning of the 2017/18 campaign (W8, D3).  

They are unbeaten in 15 of their last 17 UCL games.

They have failed to win three of their four home encounters with Dutch opponents (W1, D1, L2).

Ajax are unbeaten in 21 of their last 23 away games in the UCL (W11, D10).

But the visitors are winless in the last five games against Italian teams (D2, L3).

They have not kept a clean sheet in their last five games.

Head-to-head

Napoli have the edge in this fixture, having won the first and only head-to-head meeting between both sides last week (6-1 win). 

Latest performances in all competitions

Napoli: W-W-W-W-W

Ajax: W-L-D-L-L

Napoli

Napoli will look to continue their impressive start to the UCL season when they welcome Ajax to Naples on Wednesday. 

I Partenopei are one of the five teams that are yet to drop points in the Champions League this season, and sit atop Group A with nine points, three clear of second-placed Liverpool

Luciano Spalletti’s side thrashed Ajax 1-6 last week Tuesday to secure their biggest away win margin in European Competitions. Giacomo Raspadori continued his impressive start to life in a Napoli shirt with a brace, with goals from Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Piotr Zielinski, Giovanni Simeone and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia completing the rout. 

Napoli will now look to finish off the job and continue their impressive start to the season where they are currently on a ten-game unbeaten streak in all competition.

With just three points separating them from Liverpool, Luciano Spalletti will be keen to see his side avoid any drama by picking up all three points against the Dutch heavyweights.

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, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giacomo Raspadori.

Injured: Victor Osimhen

Doubtful: Gianluca Gaetano

Suspended: None 

Ajax

Ajax broke their four-game winless streak last weekend by beating Volendam in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Goals from Dusan Tadic, Calvin Bassey, Brian Brobbery and David Klaassen ensured that there was no late heartbreak for the away fans, with the hosts threatening a late comeback through Leguincio Zeefuik and Carel Eiting.

Alfred Schreuder now takes his boys to Naples as they seek to keep their hopes of European Competition alive. 

Ajax sit third in Group A with three points, and unless they win all three of their second leg games starting with the trip to Italy, and a slim chance that Liverpool drop two points in their remaining three games, the Dutch giants look set to make a drop into the second tier of European football.

As the visitors travel to Italy to take on the daunting task of overcoming an in-form Napoli side, head coach Alfred Schreuder will be keen to see his side put in a more challenging performance than they did in the first leg and possibly come home with a better result.

Possible Ajax starting line-up

Remko Pasveer; Devyne Rensch, Jurrien Timber, Calvin Bassey, Daley Blind; Kenneth Taylor, Edson Álvarez; Steven Berghuis, Brian Brobbey, Steven Bergwijn; Mohammed Kudus.

Injured: Ahmetcan Kaplan, Jorge Sanchez

Doubtful: None 

Suspended: Dusan Tadic

Prediction

Napoli 3-1 Ajax