A beleaguered Napoli side take on Hellas Verona on Sunday evening at the Stadio San Paolo in Serie A
Napoli head into the game on the back of a poor start to the season. Tipped as potential title contenders, Rafael Benitez’s side instead sit seventh in the table after three wins and two defeats in their opening seven games, as well as two draws. While also coming off the back of a 2-0 defeat to Young Boys in the Europa League, pressure is mounting on the shoulders of the coach.
Verona sit eighth in the Serie A standings with an identical record, and will look to pile the pressure on Napoli by getting a positive result on Sunday.
Napoli definitely hold the edge in clashes between the two sides, with Verona having failed to record a victory over the Partenopei since 2001. The last time the two met at the San Paolo, Hellas were on the end of a drubbing, losing 5-1 to Benitez’s men. Doubles from Duvan Zapata and Dries Mertens, as well as a Jose Callejon strike were enough for Napoli, with a single strike from Juan Iturbe representing scant consolation for the Gialloblu.
Last season’s meeting at the Bentegodi was similarly disappointing for Verona, going down 3-0 in front of their own fans with Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Blerim Dzemaili inflicting the damage.
Indeed, Napoli have actually come out on top in the last four meetings between the two sides, with the last time Verona managed even a point being a 2-2 draw in a 2004 Serie B clash.
Walter Gargano will sit out this game for Napoli, with the Uruguayan, with fellow Uruguayan Miguel Britos also a doubt.
For Verona, Rafael Marquez will play no part after his red card in the defeat to AC Milan last week, with Mounir Obbadi, Lazaros Christodoulopoulos and Jacopo Sala also set miss the game, though, through injury.
Expected Starting XIs
Napoli: Rafael; Maggio, Albiol, Koulibaly, Zuniga; Inler, Hamsik, David Lopez; Callejon, Higuain, Insigne
Hellas Verona: Rafael; Martic, Moras, Marques, Brivio; Campanharo, Tachtsidis, Hallfredsson; Nico Lopez, Toni, Gomez
