Scudetto time. The Napoli by Lucian Spallettiafter the failed match point at home against Salernitana on Sunday, he has the chance tonight from 20.45 to officially hit a goal expected for 33 years, the third title of champion of Italy: in the postponement of the 33rd day of Serie Aat the Dacia Arena in Udine a point will be enough, therefore also a draw, against Udinese by Andrew Subtle, to win the championship arithmetically, reaching +16 over Lazio second five games from the end and reaching 80 points. Feverish anticipation both in the Friulian town, where more than 10,000 Neapolitan fans have arrived in exodus, and at the Maradona in Naples, sold out to watch the start of a party that hasn’t started since 1990 in front of the big screens. Napoli has slowed down in the last few days , winning only twice in the last five, while Udinese, now safe, wants to spoil the party for the Azzurri, who launch the golden duo Osimhen-Kvaratskhelia, respectively 21 and 12 goals so far.
STATS & BACKGROUND – Napoli have won 12 of their last 13 matches with Udinese in Serie A (D1) and have scored at least two goals in all of their last six league games against the Friulians. Udinese’s last home win against Napoli in Serie A dates back to 3 April 2016, with Luigi De Canio on the bench (3-1 with brace from Bruno Fernandes and goals from Thereau, while Higuain scored for the Azzurri) – from then five Campanian successes and a draw (1-1 in December 2019). In the last tricolor year (1989/90), Napoli narrowly won the first leg against Udinese at home (1-0) and then drew in the second leg in Udine (2-2, with goals from Maradona and Corradini for Campania, De Vitis and Mattei for Friuli). At the end of this match, Napoli could be crowned champion of Italy mathematically with five games to spare: only two teams in the era of three points for a win have succeeded so far (Juventus 2018/19 and Inter 2006/07) . Luciano Spalletti – who boasts 117 Serie A benches in his career at the helm of Udinese – at 64 years and 58 days old, on Thursday 4 May he could become the oldest coach to win a single-round Serie A Scudetto. All of Udinese’s last five defeats in the league have come away from home: the Friulians have not lost at home in Serie A since 15 January against Bologna and this season at the Dacia Arena they have beaten all three teams they have faced so far in the top six of the current standings (Inter, Milan and Rome). Napoli have won in all of their last eight away games in the league and have not conceded a goal in seven of these: the Azzurri only once in their history have they achieved nine wins in a row away from home in Serie A, but between two tournaments ( with Sarri between April and October 2017). Lazar Samardzic, who scored in the first leg at Maradona, could be involved in 10 goals in this league (five goals and four assists so far): he would be the youngest in this league to do it (Hojlund also has nine). An evident moment of decline for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who since the beginning of April has been the Napoli outfield player who has played the most minutes in all competitions (552) without participating in any goals (zero between goals and assists). Victor Osimhen, who hasn’t scored in his last three Serie A appearances and has never gone four games in a row without scoring in this championship, boasts four goals in four games of the tournament played against Udinese (only against Sampdoria, five goals , scored more goals).
AFTER THE MATCH STAY ON CALCIOMERCATO.COM FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE DIRECTOR GIANCARLO PADOVAN.
THE OFFICIAL FORMATIONS:
UDINES (3-5-1-1): Silvestri; Becao, Bijol, Perez; Ehizizue, Samardzic, Walace, Lovric, Udogie; Pereyra; Nestorovsky.
NAPOLI (4-3-3): Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim, Olivera, Anguissa, Lobotka, Ndombele, Elmas, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia.