As the year draws to a close, Napoli aim to finish on a high note in their pursuit of the Serie A title when they host Venezia at Stadio Maradona on Sunday. This match is crucial for both teams: Napoli seek to maintain pressure on league leaders Atalanta, while Venezia fight to avoid relegation.
Napoli enter this match with strong momentum, having extended their unbeaten streak to eight away games after a solid 2-1 victory against Genoa in their last outing. Goals from Amir Rrahmani and Frank Anguissa secured the win, allowing Napoli to stay just two points behind Atalanta. Under the management of Antonio Conte, who recently celebrated his 150th win in Serie A, Napoli have shown significant improvement compared to last season’s disappointing finish.
However, Napoli have faced challenges at home recently, losing two of their last three matches at Stadio Maradona after starting the season with five consecutive wins. Historically, Napoli have dominated their encounters with Venezia, remaining unbeaten in their last eight league meetings and keeping clean sheets in the last five.
Venezia, on the other hand, come into this match needing points to bolster their chances of staying in the top flight. After a rocky start to December with two draws followed by a vital win against Cagliari, they are now unbeaten in three matches. Despite this resurgence, Venezia have struggled away from home, with a 16-match winless streak in Serie A.
Team News
For Napoli, the injury list includes Alessandro Buongiorno, but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is expected to return to the starting lineup after a knee issue limited his playtime recently. The attacking trio led by Romelu Lukaku will be crucial as he has been directly involved in eight goals over his last seven matches against promoted teams.
Venezia will be without Michael Svoboda due to an ACL injury, along with Alfred Duncan and others side-lined with various injuries. Coach Eusebio Di Francesco is likely to maintain a consistent line-up following their recent victory.
Expected Starting XIs
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Neres, Lukaku, Kvaratskhelia
Venezia (3-4-2-1): Stankovic; Altare, Idzes, Sverko; Zampano, Andersen, Nicolussi Caviglia, Ellertsson; Oristanio, Busio; Pohjanpalo
Match Prediction
Given Napoli’s current form and historical dominance over Venezia, they are favored to secure a comprehensive victory. The prediction leans towards a 3-0 win for Napoli as they look to exploit Venezia’s defensive vulnerabilities while aiming for another clean sheet.
Prediction: Napoli 3-0 Venezia
