Italian Football: Dismayed Conte could leave Juventus

Antonio Conte: "If I have to expect a welcome like this in Bologna, then I say that it really makes me want to leave Italy and go abroad. It must be a simpler life elsewhere."

Despite leading Juventus to the top of Serie A last season and the Champions League quarter-finals this, Antonio Conte could head abroad in the summer, writes Christian Crowther...

Juventus' outspoken manager Antonio Conte was acknowledged by Jose Mourinho himself as Italy's very own Special One at the beginning of this campaign.

The Real Madrid manager was quoted in Tuttosport in September saying: "The fans call Conte the Italian Special One? I like that. I feel honoured. He is a bit like me... I like Conte a lot as a coach. He knows what he wants and is a real winner. He has a lot of charisma."

This was high praise indeed from his Portuguese counterpart. However, while Mourinho is probably still unmatched in the charisma stakes, Conte's immediate success as manager of the club he won every domestic and European honour with as a player has quite rightly pushed the Italian to prominence.

After delivering the scudetto in an unbeaten debut season in the dugout in 2011/12, Conte has now set Juventus on course for successive titles - currently nine points clear of Napoli and rated at 1.071/14 to finish the job.

In Europe meanwhile, his Juve side have already helped account for the demise of holders Chelsea and now face a last-eight tie against Bayern Munich, where the Italians are available at 2.6613/8 to qualify.

Rather ironically, it looks as if Conte could well be among the forerunners to replace Mourinho at the Bernabeu if, as is widely expected, the Portuguese coach leaves at the end of the season.

Certain events in Italy this season, and subsequent comments from Conte himself, have cast real doubt over whether he will remain in Turin as manager next season, putting both Real Madrid and Chelsea's owners on red alert.

Earlier in the season, he responded to media speculation linking him with a move abroad by issuing comments claiming that it had always been his ambition to one day coach abroad.

There have also been a number of outbursts. Never one to shy away from the issue, Conte attacked Bianconeri fans last month for jeering forward Sebastian Giovinco.

Now, speculation has intensified to a new level after Conte's latest comments made after his team's trip to Bologna on Saturday night.

The Italian tactician was disgruntled at criticism of his enthusiastic celebrations towards the end of the 2-0 victory, believing that Bologna fans throwing sticks and rocks at the team bus prior to entering the stadium was a far graver crime.

Conte, who has already made reference to the war-like situation between rival fans, exclaimed: "If I have to expect a welcome like this in Bologna, then I say that it really makes me want to leave Italy and go abroad. It must be a simpler life elsewhere. We are not at war, here. This is sport. In this situation, you may as well just leave."

Interestingly, despite leapfrogging Tottenham in the Premier League and securing a Europa League quarter-final for Chelsea, Rafa Benitez is still rated at 1.041/25 not to be at Stamford Bridge next season. Could it be Conte replacing him?

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Serie A Betting: Expect goals as Conte's Juventus visit Bologna

"In the last 22 head-to-heads, Juve have recorded 13 victories, with eight games ending all-square and Bologna triumphing just once."

Italian football expert Dave Farrar thinks Juve's visit to Bologna could provide entertainment, but he doesn't expect the same at Pescara...

Bologna v Juventus

Juventus moved nine points clear at the top of Serie A with their 1-0 win at home to Catania last weekend and it's difficult to see second-placed Napoli or anyone else catching them with just 10 games left to play.

This weekend's opponents Bologna hardly looked equipped to trip up Juve, either. Bologna sprung a surprise by winning 1-0 at Inter last weekend - although it won't have been a surprise to readers of this column, as we backed Bologna at 5.2 - but it would be asking too much to expect Stefano Pioli's side to claim two major scalps in a row.

The historic stats also suggest a win will be beyond Bologna. In the last 22 head-to-heads, Juve have recorded 13 victories, with eight games ending all-square and Bologna triumphing just once. Opta also reveal Juventus are unbeaten in their last 10 Serie A visits to Bologna (W6-D4-L0) and La Vecchia Signora's formidable away form - just two defeats in their last 32 Serie A games on the road - also tells you which way this encounter is likely to go.

The 1.72 on Juventus will hold little appeal for many bettors, so you might prefer to focus on the Over 2.5 Goals market. Ten of Bologna's 14 home games and six of Juventus' 13 away games have featured over 2.5 goals. Overs is my selection.

Recommended Bet

Bologna v Juventus Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.02

Fiorentina v Genoa

Fiorentina made it three wins from four when they won 2-0 at Lazio last weekend, moving above Lazio and Inter into fourth place in the standings.
La Viola's games are generally entertaining - 16 of their 28 league fixtures have featured three goals or more - and home fans at the Artemio Franchi are likely to enjoy what they see this weekend.

Fiorentina have won four and drawn two of their last six meetings against Genoa, keeping clean sheets in each of those wins. They have netted at least once in each of the last 10 meetings between the sides, with Genoa failing to record a victory on their last 14 trips to Florence (W0-D5-L9) and losing on each of their last six visits. Genoa's away form generally is a concern, too - they are winless in their last seven.

The stats all suggest the 1.4740/85 on Fiorentina is justified. If that's too short I would recommend backing Fiorentina -1.0&-1.5 Asian Handicap. With that selection, you'll make a profit if they win by two goals or more, something they're entirely capable of doing - seven of Fiorentina's 10 home wins this season have come by two goals or more.

Recommended Bet

Fiorentina -1.0&-1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.02

Pescara v Chievo

Right now, Pescara are unbackable. They're stuck in the relegation zone, and a run of just one point from their last nine league games makes it easy to see why. They have lost their last four home games so home advantage appears to be no advantage at all at the moment.

Not that I have much faith in Chievo, either. They have lost their last three Serie A fixtures on the road and had managed just one point from five games before last weekend's surprise 2-0 win over Napoli. Their longer-term form and league position (16th) make it clear that win over second-placed Napoli was the exception rather than the rule.

Most bettors would understandably swerve this game altogether but the one market worth considering is Under 2.5 Goals. Sixteen of Pescara's 28 games have had under 2.5 goals. The same applies to 17 of Chievo's 28 games.

Unders is therefore my selection, although traders out there may like to wait until after kick-off as bigger prices may become available once the game is under way. These two sides have conceded the most goals of any teams in Serie A in the opening 15 minutes of games: nine for Pescara, eight for Chievo.

Recommended Bet

Under 2.5 Goals @ 1.70

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The Big Match Tactical View: Juventus v Napoli

The midfield battle featuring Gokhan Inler, Valon Behrami, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal should be fiery
Back a second-off at 3.412/5

Juventus have a long unbeaten record to protect, while Napoli struggle away from home against the big boys - can Walter Mazzarri's side pull off a shock victory?

Juventus v Napoli, Saturday 5:00, Betfair Live Video.

Match Odds: Juventus 1.794/5, Napoli 5.04/1, The Draw 3.9n/a.

It's impossible to consider Napoli's chances of winning this match without recalling their dreadful record away top 5 clubs in the past couple of seasons - they've collected just two points and conceded 18 goals in those eight games. We also have to bear in mind that Juventus are unbeaten in 46 league games, and are yet to lose at their new stadium.

Yet Juve have recently lost to Napoli - in the Coppa Italia final back in May, when Walter Mazzarri recorded a 2-0 victory over Antonio Conte thanks to an Edinson Cavani penalty and a Marek Hamsik breakaway goal. The subsequent 4-2 Supercoppa debate was followed by Napoli complaints about controversial refereeing decisions - this now feels like a proper rivalry, and with both sides on 19 points from a possible 21 at the top of the table, this is a huge game.

Tactically, it should be fascinating. 3-5-2 is now Juventus' default shape, but Conte originally started using that formation exclusively against other sides who played three at the back - primarily Udinese and Napoli. "All teams who play 3-5-2 cause us problems," admits Mazzarri - so it's difficult to see Conte choosing any other system.

Conte is a big admirer of Christian Maggio, Napoli's right-wing-back, and his decision to change formation last year was partly to get a player tracking him up and down the line. Marcelo Estigarribia wasn't good enough defensively to stop him at the San Paolo, but Paolo De Ceglie did a good job in Turin and he could start ahead of Kwadwo Asamoah here. On the other side, Stephane Lichtsteiner is a better player than Juan Zuniga, and will force the Colombian back towards his own goal.

In the centre of midfield, there should be a frantic two-versus-two clash - Gokhan Inler and Valon Behrami against Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal. All are mobile, combative and feisty - this will be a tremendous battle.

More crucial, however, is the contest between Juvents' deep-lying playmaker Andrea Pirlo and Napoli attacking midfielder Hamsik. The Slovakian successfully nullified Pirlo last season, although at the expense of his own attacking ability - he needs to stop Pirlo playing forward passes, but then storm forward on the break, turning Juve's probable three-versus-two advantage at the back into a more dangerous three-versus-three.

Mazzarri rarely makes surprise selection decisions - a minor change in defence might be on the cards, but that's about it - but Conte's selection upfront is unknown. So far this season he's favoured Sebastian Giovinco behind Mirko Vucinic, but reports from Italy suggest he'll favour a combination of Alessandro Matri and Naples-born Fabio Quagliarella. If I were Conte, I'd go for Matri to hold the ball up and occupy the Napoli centre-backs, then tell Giovinco to float around in the hole just behind, taking advantage of the fact neither Inler nor Behrami are natural holders, and will be drawn higher up into a midfield battle.

The game's star player is Cavani - likely to be fielded upfront with support from Goran Pandev to his right. Cavani has a decent record against Juventus and, will hope Maggio and Zuniga get forward and supply him with crosses.

There have been 24 goals in the last six games between these sides in all competitions, and it's unusual - but right in this case - to see Over 2.5 goals at 1.865/6 in a match between Serie A's top two. Still, I don't see a great deal of value in that market. Instead, I like the look of a sending-off at around 3.613/5, primarily because of the aforementioned midfield battle - but also because of the past refereeing controversies, which will make this a tempestuous encounter.

Recommended bet:
Back a second-off at 3.412/5

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Serie A Betting: Inter Milan could be in for a hiding at Juventus

Italian Football / Dave Farrar / 23 March 2012 / Leave a Comment

On the Mirko. Juventus star Vucinic scored in midweek against AC Milan and might have another good game at home to Inter

"Only Genoa and Napoli have managed to score against them more than once in a game, and Inter’s shot shy forward line don’t look capable of causing them undue worry. It might seem outlandish, but I’m interested in “Any Unquoted” in the Correct Score market at 10.0."

Given Inter's struggles this season, the Derby D'Italia may be less competitive than usual. In fact, Juventus may well trample all over their old rivals. Particularly if the enigmatic Mirko Vucinic 'shows up', says Dave Farrar.

Inter's worst ever Serie A defeat came against Juve back in 1961. That 9-1 scoreline is unlikely to be repeated this Sunday night, but there's no question that Juve start as strong favourites to win, and that the spectre of a thrashing hangs over Claudio Ranieri's side.

After going though a month in which they seemed to have lost their attacking mojo, Juve have rediscovered it. They were helped by Alessio Cerci's ridiculous sending off, but were still brilliant at Fiorentina last week, and then they finally got the better of Milan after one of the great Cup semi finals in midweek. The key to their resurgence has been the form of Mirko Vucinic. The man from Montenegro can stroll around like a surly psychopath, but when he puts that emotional energy to good use, he is as good as any striker in Serie A. If, as the saying goes, he "turns up" against Inter, then he could be just about unplayable.

Juve are unbeaten in their last five meetings against Inter, and their success this season has been based on a near watertight backline. Only Genoa and Napoli have managed to score against them more than once in a game, and Inter's shot shy forward line don't look capable of causing them undue worry. It might seem outlandish, but I'm interested in "Any Unquoted" in the Correct Score market at [10.0] as I do think that there's the potential for Juve to rip Inter apart, and I want that on my side. Juve are [1.69] for the win, which I think is surprisingly big, but the price that I'm really keen on is the [1.9] about Juve conceding 0.5 and 1.0 on the Asian Handicap.

They're by far and away the likelier winners here and I expect them to do so by at least two goals. All that Juve can do is win and hope that Milan slip up. That may not happen, but they should at least have a "Derby D'Italia" win to celebrate come Sunday night.

Recommendation Juventus -0.5 and 1.0 on the Asian Handicap @ [1.9]

Any Unquoted" in the Correct Score Market @ [10.0]

Napoli v Catania

They're out of the Champions League, but Napoli at least have a Coppa Italia final against Juventus to look forward to.

They sealed the win against Siena with one of the goals of the season so far, and look ready for a strong finish to the season. By the way, if you haven't seen Edinson Cavani's semi final strike yet, then do yourself a favour and take a look.

Catania will not make life easy for the home team, as they come to the San Paolo having gone three games in a row without conceding in Serie A. A fourth clean sheet would be a record, and there's even a feeling around that Catania could take advantage of a tiring Napoli side and crown their recent great form with a shock win. If you can see that happening, then Vincenzo Montella's side are available at [6.4] for the victory, but I don't share the opinion of the Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri that it would be a "miracle" if his side were to win on Sunday.

That seems to be a case of downplaying expectations rather than any application of cold logic. Catania are capable of causing problems though, and I think that this tactical matchup is one which seems certain to produce goals. "Overs" are available at [1.9], and even though Catania's recent trend is of low scoring games, indications are that they may be more adventurous on Sunday, and that could combine with Napoli's firepower to provide quite a spectacle.

Recommendation Over 2.5 Goals in Napoli v Catania @ [1.9]

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Juventus v AC Milan: Del Piero to inspire big-match Bianconeri

Italian Football / Michael Lintorn / 20 March 2012 / Leave a Comment

Alessandro Del Piero should start in this Coppa Italia semi-final second leg

"Though AC Milan were the better of the pair in their recent league meeting, they have lost their three toughest domestic away games to Juventus, Lazio and Udinese, each by two goals."

Juventus have consistently delivered against top teams this season, and should do so again with a player who does the same, Alessandro Del Piero, given a game...

Juventus v AC Milan, Tuesday 19:45, Betfair Live Video, Match odds: Juventus [2.48], AC Milan [3.15], The Draw [3.5]

One man is on the cover of all the major Italian sports newspapers on the eve of the season's fourth and final riveting encounter between Juventus and AC Milan and for once it is neither Andrea Pirlo nor Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Instead, it is the 37-year-old Alessandro Del Piero attracting all the attention after Antonio Conte confirmed that he will face the Serie A leaders in the second leg of this Coppa Italia semi-final for what might be the last time in his career.

The Bianconeri's all-time leading scorer and appearance-maker has found first-team opportunities limited in what the club confirmed in October would be his last campaign in Turin, and more than likely Italy too, yet has still shone in several of his cameos.

He will be desperate to put on another show in what threatens to be a swansong performance at the top level in his homeland and his chances of doing so are promising as while AC Milan possess all the momentum in Serie A, it is Juventus who are in control in the cup.

Their visitors' only route into a final with Napoli or Siena is to do what no side has done all season - and something that they have failed to achieve on three occasions - by beating the Old Lady, having lost the first leg 2-1 at San Siro.

Though AC Milan were the better of the pair in their recent league meeting there, robbed by the linesman's failure to spot that Sulley Muntari's header has crossed the line to make it 2-0, they have lost their three toughest domestic away games to Juventus, Lazio and Udinese, each by two goals.

Juventus by contrast have saved their best for hosting positional rivals, defeating AC Milan, Udinese and Roma. They also halted a run of four straight draws with a 5-0 away thrashing of Fiorentina on Saturday, finally rediscovering that scoring touch, so are an attractive proposition at [2.48].

Both teams to score

This was a feature of the two clashes between Serie A's top two last month and a feature of four of Juventus' last six as hosts, so as AC Milan have netted in nine of their last ten domestic fixtures on the road, a repeat is a strong possibility at [1.77].

Best Bet: Juventus to win @ [2.48]
Other Recommended Bet: Both teams to score @ [1.77]

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Against All Odds: Parma can frustrate Juventus

Against All Odds / Paul Robinson / 15 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Parma are unbeaten in six at home

"Many are predicting this as an away win, but I think it could prove tricky for Juventus...

Juventus travel to Parma tonight in Italy's Serie A knowing that a win will return them to the top of the table. The market has them odds-on but Paul Robinson thinks that Parma will be no pushovers.

Parma are 13th in the league with 27 points from 21 matches. The main reason for their lowly standing is their away form; six losses, three draws and just two wins. Italian legend Roberto Donadoni has his side in better nick at Stadio Ennio Tardini as their record this season is; WLWLWWDDDW. That run includes an impressive 2-1 victory over high flying Udinese so they are more than capable of raising their game against top level opponents.

Juventus are flying this campaign and are second in the table after collecting 45 points from 21 fixtures. The Old Lady are in irresistible form this season and are yet to taste defeat in Serie A. Away from Turin, Antonio Conte's men have won their last two, but they were both against teams in the bottom six, and before that they failed to pick up the full three points in their previous trio of matches.

Many are predicting this as an away win, but I think it could prove much trickier for Juventus than expected. Parma are very hard to beat at home and Juventus have a habit of drawing games on the road. The last match between the two ended in a 2-1 win for Parma and while they might not be able to repeat that tonight, I can't see them losing. Odds of [1.8] are too short for my money and that's why I have to make Juventus my lay of the day.

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http://sports.betfair.com/Index.domi=104830046&ex=1&origin=MRL&rfr=3013

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Home And Away: No Parma drama for unbeatable Juventus

Daily Tipping / Jonno Turner / 15 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Gianluigi Buffon has been a key component of Serie A's best backline

Jonno Turner is backing Italy's top two to impress this evening, with Juventus reclaiming first place in Serie A at Parma and AC Milan defeating Arsenal...

I hope you all enjoyed Valentine's Day yesterday. I was shattered all day. I had to get up at 6:00 to open all of my cards. Plus I was up until the early hours writing them all out.

My girlfriend called me yesterday and said, "Three of the girls in the office have just received some flowers for Valentine's Day; they are absolutely gorgeous." I said, "That's probably why they've received flowers then."

I thought yesterday's Chesterfield tip was signed, sealed and delivered at around 21:20 but some bad luck saw them concede in the dying moments of their game to draw.

We'll try and make up for that today as we head to Italy, with Juventus travelling to Parma in Serie A looking to extend the cracking form which has taken them to second in the league.

The hosts have a good record at the Stadio Ennio Tardini this season, but have dropped off slightly of late, and have won just once in their last five in front of their fans. And that makes it a mere two wins in ten league games for Roberto Donadoni's side, leaving them 13th with 17 to play.

Juventus are in the midst of one of their best seasons in recent history, and are unbeaten since they kicked off back in September, a total of 24 games in all competitions.

Antonio Conte's side are in pole position to secure the Serie A title, just two points behind leaders AC Milan with two games in hand, so it's integral that they take advantage of the first of those. And the Bianconeri have won their last three on the road, scoring five and conceding only one.

The last time these two sides met, Conte's side ran out 4-1 winners, and I think we'll see them continue their unbeaten run this evening.

Bet 1: Juventus (AWAY) to win @ [1.83]

Staying in Italy, as AC Milan welcome Arsenal to the San Siro in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie.

As mentioned above, Milan are top of Serie A by a small margin and are enjoying a positive season so far, losing just three of their last 25 home outings.

Massimiliano Allegri's side have lost only once in their last seven Champions League games, and will be desperate to secure a positive result tonight to take with them to London for the return leg in a couple of weeks.

Arsenal are enduring a season which, at best, could be described as patchy, and at worst, a disaster. Just one win in four away games leaves the Gunners fourth in the Premier League, ten points behind third place.

And Arsene Wenger's side have won only two of their last seven away games in this competition, which suggests that they may try to keep the score down tonight and go for the win in the return leg.

It's no secret that the Londoners have been struggling defensively all season and I can't see them keeping a clean sheet this evening, so I'm backing the home win here.

Bet 2: AC Milan (HOME) to win @ [2.14]

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Serie A Betting: Tricky travelling tests for Juventus and AC Milan

Italian Football / Michael Lintorn / 30 January 2012 / Leave a Comment

Antonio Conte aims to become the third visiting coach to leave Parma's Stadio Tardini with three points

"Parma have lost just once in eight and none of their last six Serie A home games."

Italy's top two Juventus and AC Milan will both see potential for their rivals to slip up in midweek, with Lazio and Inter among those hoping to take advantage...

Parma v Juventus, Tuesday 19:45, Betfair Live Video, Match odds: Parma [5.7], Juventus [1.8], The Draw [3.65]

Juventus coach Antonio Conte has labelled AC Milan "super favourites" for the scudetto, yet though both this writer and the Betfair market put the holders on top at [1.98], it looks increasingly likely that this will be the Old Lady's strongest challenge since Calciopoli.

A 2-1 triumph over Udinese on Saturday saw them maintain their one-point lead and superb record against fellow contenders, but this is a fourth match in 11 days, a marathon stint for a side whose success owes plenty to only playing once a week while all their rivals have been in Europe.

Parma have lost just once in eight and none of their last six Serie A home games. They frequently prove a bogey club for the table-toppers too, winning three of their last four meetings, so have a fair chance of frustrating the unbeaten Bianconeri.

Best Bet: Lay Juventus @ [1.81]

Inter v Palermo, Wednesday 19:45, Betfair Live Video, Match odds: Inter [1.5], Palermo [8.6], The Draw [4.3]

One of the main problems during Gian Piero Gasperini's brief spell in charge of Inter was that his system didn't accommodate prize asset Wesley Sneijder, and Claudio Ranieri - for all the good that he has done - faces a similar headache.

Their recent eight-match winning streak was achieved with a 4-4-2, however Sneijder's return to full fitness led Ranieri to reintroduce him in a 4-3-1-2 at Lecce on Sunday. The experiment couldn't have backfired more, the playmaker making way at half-time in a 1-0 defeat that marked their struggling hosts' first home victory of the season.

This isn't an easy encounter in which to resolve that issue, especially as Palermo have finally found form under Bortolo Mutti, aided by seven goals in two games. The reverse fixture ended 4-3 to the Rosanero in Sicily and both sides have scored in each of their last seven clashes with one another.

Best Bet: Both teams to score @ [1.95]

Lazio v AC Milan, Wednesday 19:45, Betfair Live Video, Match odds: Lazio [3.4], AC Milan [2.4], The Draw [3.35]

This will be the second time that these two teams collide in seven days, after AC Milan knocked Lazio out of the Coppa Italia at the San Siro last Thursday.

The champions were ultimately worthy 3-1 winners but Lazio started strongly and fired first, just as they did in the opening fixture of the campaign against them in September, and ten goals in five games shows that they have enough going forward to frighten the Rossoneri.

AC Milan don't lack in that department either though, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic the best player in the world not named Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo right now, and with a far less stellar supporting cast too. The Swede has scored 12 in his last 11 appearances, rendering Adriano Galliani's obsession with signing Carlos Tevez all the more bewildering.

Best Bet: Back Lazio to score first @ [2.42]

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Napoli v Juventus: Hosts to raise their game against leaders

Italian Football / Michael Lintorn / 28 November 2011 / Leave a Comment

Edinson Cavani scored a hat-trick in his last home game against Juventus

"Napoli have shown throughout the campaign that they are a team for the big occasions and should avoid the disastrous scenario of allowing the unbeaten Bianconeri to pull 12 points clear of them."

Despite their dismal recent domestic form, Michael Lintorn thinks that Napoli are a massive threat to Juventus' unbeaten run...

Napoli v Juventus, Tuesday 19:45 BST, Betfair Live Video, Match odds: Napoli [2.6], Juventus [3.05], The Draw [3.35]

Walter Mazzarri maintains that it is the media rather than him expecting a scudetto challenge from Napoli. However honest that statement is, it will be very difficult for them to mount one if they lose Tuesday's game in hand with leaders Juventus.

The joy of a Champions League win over Manchester City was swiftly replaced by the increasingly familiar feeling of domestic disappointment at Atalanta, where they made four changes to the side and had to salvage a point in injury time.

Yet the Partenopei have shown throughout the campaign that they are a team for the big occasions and should avoid the disastrous scenario of allowing the unbeaten Bianconeri to pull 12 points clear of them, instead perhaps closing the gap to six.

The hosts have won just four of their first 11 Serie A fixtures, but three of those came against the clubs that joined them in the top four last season, with their 2-0 victory over Udinese last month ending their undefeated start.

And as they welcome bottom-of-the-table Lecce to the San Paolo on Saturday, Napoli will surely field their strongest possible XI against Juventus, meaning recalls for tireless right wing back Christian Maggio and unsung hero of the attack Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Juventus share their opponents' appetite for the glamorous encounters and have also seen off both Milan giants, claiming another huge result at the weekend away to Lazio. They weren't at their best in a 1-0 triumph though, and lost 3-0 in Naples in 2010-11.

Over/under 2.5 goals

Alessandro Matri has been a revelation since joining the Old Lady in January, but his team-mates spurned several opportunities in Rome and such wastefulness will prove costly against Napoli, who have kept three clean sheets in four at home.

Four of Antonio Conte's men's first five away matches have featured two goals or fewer, with them netting one or fewer in four instances, so under 2.5 goals has to be fancied at [1.76].

Best Bet: Napoli to win @ [2.6]
Other Recommended Bet: Under 2.5 goals @ [1.76]

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