Serie A is back in action following the international break with Napoli playing their first match at the Stadio San Paolo this season, with Sampdoria the visitors at 18:00 local time kick off.
Probable Formations
Napoli (4-2-3-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Manolas, Koulibaly, Mario Rui; Allan, Zielinski; Callejon, Fabian Ruiz, Lozano; Mertens
Unavailable: Milik, Elmas
Sampdoria (4-3-3): Audero; Depaoli, Colley, Murillo, Murru; Linetty, Ekdal, Jankto; Rigoni E., Quagliarella, Caprari
Suspended: Vieira (1)
Unavailable: Maroni
Key Statistics
– Napoli have lost just one of their last seven Serie A encounters against Sampdoria (W6), a 3-0 defeat in Round 3 last season.
– Napoli are unbeaten in their last 11 home games in Serie A against Sampdoria (W9 D2), with their last defeat coming back in April 1998 (2-0). Sampdoria are the side against whom Napoli have won the most games in Serie A since their return to the top flight in 2007/08 (15 wins).
– There have been two or more goals scored in each of the last 16 Serie A matches involving Napoli (64 in total, 4.0 on average per game).
– Napoli are the first side to have scored and conceded 3+ goals in each of their opening two rounds of a single Serie A campaign. The last time they conceded 3+ goals in three consecutive games came back in April 2012.
– Sampdoria have lost the first three matches in a single Serie A campaign on only four occasions -1950/51, 1970/71, 1972/73 and 2004/05 (however they have never been relegated in those seasons).
– Napoli and Sampdoria are the two sides that have conceded the most goals in Serie A so far this season (seven each). Only SPAL (22) have conceded more shots on target than the Blucerchiati (18).
– Sampdoria have scored only one goal in Serie A this season from their 12 shots on target. Only six teams have attempted more shots on target, one being Napoli (14).
– Sampdoria captain Fabio Quagliarella has found the back of the net in four of his last six appearances against Napoli in Serie A, but he hasn’t scored in two of the four games played at the San Paolo during this run.
– Napoli forward Fernando Llorente played his first match in Serie A against Sampdoria back in August 2013. He has scored one goal in four appearances against the Blucerchiati and found the net in his first home appearance (Juventus-Sampdoria in January 2014).
– Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne has played 1027 minutes in Serie A against Sampdoria, more than against any other side, and has hit the back of the net most times in the competition (six goals scored, level with AC Milan and Fiorentina).
