Napoli vs Bologna - prediction, team news, lineups

With 1 triumph betwixt them truthful far, some Napoli and Bologna volition vie for 3 precious points connected Sunday evening, erstwhile they spell toe-to-toe astatine Stadio Maradona.

The hosts person conscionable suffered back-to-back defeats against the champions of Italy and England, portion the visitors snatched their archetypal Serie A constituent past weekend.

Match preview

Napoli whitethorn person started beingness nether caller absorption with a 2-0 triumph successful Genoa, but Max Allegri's men person since seen their limitations exposed.

Serie A champions successful 2025 and runners-up to Inter Milan conscionable a fewer months ago, the Partenopei came done a pugnacious trio of fixtures empty-handed.  

Following a 2-1 location nonaccomplishment to Como, an implosion against Inter outgo them dearly astatine San Siro, aft 2 quickfire goals from Matteo Politano and Rasmus Hojlund had seemingly claimed control.

Almost inevitably, the Scudetto holders fought back, and skipper Lautaro Martinez scored their victor successful stoppage time, consigning Napoli to different defeat.

There was nary clip to reflect, arsenic Arsenal arrived successful Naples conscionable 4 days aboriginal and claimed 3 Champions League points thanks to their inspired skipper, Martin Odegaard.

While the quality of Napoli's docket indispensable beryllium acknowledged, fans are already starting to grumble, and complaints could summation if they endure 3 consecutive league defeats for the archetypal clip since January 2020. 

Not a universally fashionable appointment, Allegri indispensable effort to debar that destiny this weekend, erstwhile past volition beryllium connected the hosts' side: they person won 9 of their past 12 location games against Bologna and bushed the Rossoblu successful past year's Supercoppa Italiana final. 

However, Bologna person prevailed connected 2 of their past 3 trips to the Maradona, and they did the league treble implicit Napoli past play - including a melodramatic 3-2 distant triumph successful May.

Much has changed since then, arsenic the modulation from erstwhile manager Vincenzo Italiano to caller brag Domenico Tedesco has not gone smoothly.

Tedesco's archetypal competitory crippled was a 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Lazio, and they were past beaten by Atalanta successful Bergamo.

La Dea stole each 3 points with astir the past footwear of that match, but Bologna flipped the publication a fewer days later, erstwhile Artem Dovbyk scored a precocious leveller astatine location to Sassuolo.

Though avoiding decision successful an Emilian derby brought a surge of relief, Tedesco's squad are 1 of six without a triumph successful Serie A and person lone scored doubly truthful far.

Still searching for the effect that could kick-start their campaign, they volition caput southbound to Campania this weekend.

Napoli Serie A form:

Napoli signifier (all competitions):

Bologna Serie A form:

Team News

Napoli sustained a mates of casualties successful midweek, arsenic goalkeeper Alex Meret was forced disconnected with a thigh strain and Alisson Santos suffered a hamstring injury.

Both volition beryllium retired of enactment until aft the planetary break, truthful Vanja Milinkovic-Savic should deputise for Meret connected Sunday.

Scott McTominay, Giovane, Alessandro Buongiorno and Luca Marianucci were already missing, but Frank Anguissa could present instrumentality from an adductor problem.

Set to pb the hosts' onslaught erstwhile again, Hojlund has scored successful 4 of his past 5 league appearances, dating backmost to the process extremity of past season.

Meanwhile, Dovbyk and Roberto Piccoli some scored their archetypal Bologna extremity against Sassuolo, and they volition proceed to combat for enactment up front.

The visitors' lack database is comparatively short, but it does diagnostic long-serving talisman Riccardo Orsolini, who has scored successful each of the past 8 Serie A seasons.

The Italy winger has been ruled retired for astir of this month, joining Oussama El Azzouzi connected the sidelines.

Napoli imaginable starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marin, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, De Bruyne; Politano, Hojlund, Neres

Bologna imaginable starting lineup:

Skorupski; Holm, Heggem, Theate, Miranda; Ferguson, Moro; Bernardeschi, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Piccoli

We say: Napoli 2-1 Bologna 

Although Napoli are struggling to find an individuality nether Allegri - and person leaked an alarming magnitude of chances - Bologna person besides looked susceptible astatine the back.

It could beryllium rather a tense, close-fought affair, successful which the hosts' superior onslaught proves the deciding factor.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.