On March 3rd, we will see a clash between two top teams in the Serie A, as Napoli plays a host to Juventus at Stadio San Paolo, which has proven to be a fortress for Napoli this season.
Napoli
Napoli are currently sitting at the 2nd place in the Serie A, with an overall record of 17-5-3 and a 2-3-0 record in the last 5 league games. In the course of their last 5 fixtures in Serie A, Napoli played a draw against AC Milan (0:0), Fiorentina (0:0) and Torino (0:0), on the other side, Napoli won against Sampdoria (3:0) and most recently Parma (0:4). Napoli are undefeated in the last 7 league games; however, their real test will come on March 3rd as they face the Italian powerhouse Juventus.
As it stands now, Napoli are 13 points behind Juventus in the title race, which means Napoli has almost no chances of winning the title this season. On the other side, with 56 points, Napoli are safe in the top 4, which means they will get to appear in the Champions League next season.
Juventus
The visiting side Juventus are in a great position in Serie A, where they have once again proven they are a class above all other Italian teams. After 25 league games behind them, Juventus won 22, drew 3 and are still undefeated, which I would be surprised if it will change. They have a team capable of competing on the highest level of football, which was true last season, but with the addition of Rolando, Juventus are considered one of the strongest teams in the World. Despite all the quality players they possess, Juventus will come into this match after a disappointing defeat against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on February 20th. In the first leg of 1/8 finals, Juventus kneeled down to Atletico Madrid who won by an impressive result of 2:0, which now puts Juventus in an unenviable position, as they need to win with at least 2 goals in the return leg on March 12th. Their chances are further hindered due to the reported injury of Ronaldo, who has suffered an ankle injury on February 27th. As it stands now, it’s still unsure if and when will he return. While there is plenty of time for him to recover until their 2nd leg match in the Champions League, he surely won’t appear in the next Serie A matches, just to make sure he will be 100% ready to face off against Atletico Madrid. In addition to Ronaldo, Benatia is also questionable, while Khedira remains out until the end of March due to heart problems.
Napoli vs Juventus Betting Preview
A match that will not change the course of Serie A, nonetheless it will surely be an entertaining match between two heavyweights. As mentioned, Juventus are already unofficial champions of Serie A, so they are expected to put their focus towards Champions League, where they will chase a 2:0 result from Spain. The next match against Napoli is one Juventus would want to win, just so they establish their dominance, however visiting Napoli at Stadio San Paolo was never an easy task for Juventus. The last time Napoli hosted Juventus was in December 2017, when the match ended with a final score of 0:1. Historically teams are fairly equal at this stadium, each with 2 wins and a draw in the last 5 fixtures. I consider Juventus a favourite to win here, however, due to the missing players and focus on the Champions League match, I do not see them going full out and push for a win, so a draw in Naples would not surprise me. I expect Napoli to push for a win, but Juventus and their defence are more than capable of dealing with Napoli attack. Taking all into consideration, this match seems like a match that will end with no more than 2 goals.
Napoli vs Juventus Predictions and Betting Tips
Under 2.5 @ 1.66
Juventus +0.00 AH @ 2.15
