Preview: Napoli vs. Venezia - prediction, team news, lineups

Hoping to extremity an eventful twelvemonth connected a high, Napoli's quest to reclaim the Serie A rubric continues connected Sunday, erstwhile they invited Venezia to Stadio Maradona.

As this season's midpoint approaches, the revived Partenopei are vying for the Scudetto, portion their visitors are battling to sphere top-flight status.

Match preview

© Imago

In their last outing earlier Christmas, first-half headers from Amir Rrahmani and Frank Anguissa proved capable to proceed Napoli's good tally connected the road, stretching their Serie A unbeaten streak to 8 consecutive distant games.

Although Genoa spot backmost during the 2nd fractional astatine Marassi, pulling a extremity backmost earlier investigating Alex Meret and past striking the crossbar, Antonio Conte's men held connected to assertion triumph and stay wrong 2 points of relentless league leaders Atalanta BC.

Former Juventus and Inter Milan manager Conte recorded his 150th managerial occurrence successful the Italian apical flight, taking the fewest matches to scope specified a milestone - 220, acold up of Helenio Herrera and Maurizio Sarri (both 261).

Such pedigree successful the dugout and an unexpectedly beardown archetypal fractional of the play surely makes Napoli beardown rubric contenders, though they volition beryllium keen to apprehension a caller diminution connected location soil.

Following defeats to Atalanta and Lazio, the Campanian nine person mislaid 2 of their past 3 Serie A fixtures astatine Stadio Maradona, having won each of the archetypal 5 this season.

Nevertheless, they person already equalled their full of location wins passim the full of past term, and past suggests that tally should beryllium surpassed connected Sunday: dating backmost to 1942, Napoli are unbeaten successful 8 top-flight games against Venezia, keeping a cleanable expanse successful each of the past five.

© Imago

In fact, Venezia person yet to triumph a azygous Serie A lucifer successful Naples, and they person won lone 1 of the clubs' past 14 league meetings successful either of Italy's apical 2 divisions.

On this occasion, the Lagunari marque the agelong travel southbound successful request of points to boost their hopes of surviving the driblet backmost down to Serie B, having emerged from the 2nd tier arsenic playoff winners past season.

After successive 2-2 draws to commencement December, a caller resurgence continued successful their last fixture earlier Christmas, arsenic Eusebio Di Francesco's broadside secured a precious location triumph implicit relegation rivals Cagliari.

Following a erstwhile streak of 4 successive defeats, Venezia are present unbeaten successful three, taking them person to leaving the driblet zone - and they tin present flight if results spell their mode this weekend.

However, stretching backmost to the Arancioneroverdi's past enactment astatine the elite level, they are connected a 16-match winless streak distant from location successful Serie A, and Conte's Napoli are improbable to beryllium welcoming hosts.

Napoli Serie A form:

Napoli signifier (all competitions):

Venezia Serie A form:

Team News

© Imago

Napoli volition beryllium without Alessandro Buongiorno again this weekend, but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tin instrumentality to the starting XI aft a genu sprain saw him restricted to a cameo relation successful Genoa.

David Neres oregon Matteo Politano whitethorn truthful marque mode from a beforehand enactment led by Romelu Lukaku, who has been progressive successful 8 goals successful his past 7 Serie A matches against promoted clubs.

Once more, the hosts' motor country volition beryllium tally by the acquainted trio of Frank Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka and Scott McTominay.

Meanwhile, Venezia's wounded database remains unchanged, arsenic Michael Svoboda (ACL) joins Alfred Duncan (calf), Richie Sagrado and Antonio Raimondo (both thigh) connected the sidelines.

Eusebio Di Francesco is acceptable to support changes to a minimum aft signaling a uncommon triumph past week, truthful Gaetano Oristanio and Gianluca Busio should commencement successful enactment of lone striker Joel Pohjanpalo.

Napoli imaginable starting lineup:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Neres, Lukaku, Kvaratskhelia

We say: Napoli 3-0 Venezia

Although Venezia are showing signs of life, Napoli volition beryllium determined to support gait with their rubric rivals by beating promoted opponents.

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