Preview: Fiorentina vs Napoli – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction

Saturday’s Serie A motion caps off at Stadio Artemio Franchi as Fiorentina and Napoli go head-to-head in a handsomely-looking showdown. The 2 groups with European ambitions have kicked off the 2025/26 season on vastly completely different notes.

Stefano Pioli returned to his outdated stomping floor after six years. After a disappointing season-long stint at Al-Nassr, the 59-year-old got here again to Italian soccer this summer season. Certainly, Fiorentina sacked Raffaele Palladino on the finish of final season regardless of securing European qualification.

Pioli’s return was supposed to show Fiorentina’s fortunes round. As a substitute of progress, it’s been stagnation up to now. After conceding a last-gasp equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Cagliari on the opening Serie A weekend, La Viola slumped to a scoreless stalemate at Torino on the eve of September’s worldwide break.

Eager to get off the mark, they host Napoli on the Franchi in one of many weekend’s standout fixtures. In stark distinction to Fiorentina’s stuttering begin beneath Pioli, Napoli received their title-defending marketing campaign off to a flyer. Kevin De Bruyne scored on his debut because the Partenopei eased previous newly promoted Sassuolo 2-0 of their curtain-raising outing.

Nonetheless, Napoli left it late to beat Cagliari of their first match at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa netted a Ninety fifth-minute winner to keep up Napoli’s 100% begin and hold them on the prime of the desk. But, the guests should keep away from one other wasteful efficiency in entrance of objective in the event that they’re to place three factors on the board right here.

Match Preview

Fiorentina

Regardless of their underwhelming league begin, Fiorentina can draw confidence from qualifying for the UEFA Convention League on the again of a 6-2 mixture win of Ukrainian minnows Polissya Zhytomyr. Nonetheless, one other stalemate right here would see La Viola equal an undesirable piece of the membership’s historical past.

They’re standing on the cusp of a 3rd consecutive draw at first of a brand new top-flight season for under the third time – a feat in addition they achieved final time period. Confidence stems from Fiorentina’s dominant kind on dwelling turf. Certainly, they’ve emerged victorious from seven of their 9 most up-to-date Serie A matches on the Franchi (D1, L1).

Delivering motion from the get-go, Fiorentina opened the scoring by the fifteenth minute in 5 of these seven triumphs, highlighting the potential for a quick-fire begin. Taking an early lead may show essential because the hosts bid to arrest a dreadful seven-game winless dwelling league streak in opposition to Napoli in Serie A (D3, L4). Certainly, they final beat the Partenopei in Florence in April 2018.

Napoli

Along with their formidable run on Fiorentina’s dwelling floor, Napoli pulled off a league double over La Viola final season, scoring a number of objectives in each victories. Regardless of enjoying on the highway, Conte’s prices are in pole place to make it three wins out of three firstly of the season, having gained six of their final seven league matches instantly following a global break (L1).

Upholding that spectacular document could be an enormous confidence increase for Napoli forward of their opening UEFA Champions League conflict in opposition to Manchester Metropolis subsequent week. Defensive solidity may encourage the guests to a different success in Tuscany. They’ve saved a clear sheet on 5 of their final six Serie A travels.

It’s additionally price noting that they thrashed Fiorentina 3-0 on this corresponding fixture final season. Scoring first may once more be decisive, particularly contemplating that solely one in every of Napoli’s 9 earlier Serie A video games noticed each groups on the scoresheet.

Crew Information

Fiorentina could also be with out Albert Gudmundsson, who picked up a weird damage throughout the worldwide break. He sprained his ankle whereas celebrating a objective for Iceland. Fellow ahead Christian Kouame is a long-term absentee. Subsequently, both Edin Dzeko or Roberto Piccoli will be a part of forces with Moise Kean in assault.

Alternatively, Napoli can not name upon talismanic striker Romelu Lukaku. With the Belgian star unavailable for choice, Lorenzo Lucca will once more lead the road. In the meantime, Amir Rrahmani is out with a muscle damage, that means Sam Beukema and Alessandro Buongiorno will probably be the beginning center-back pairing.

Fiorentina vs Napoli Potential Beginning Line-ups

Fiorentina (3-5-2): de gea; Comuzzo, pongracic, raniri; Dodo, Fagioli, Sohm, Mandragora, Gosens; Dzeko, kean

Naples (4-1-4-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Beukema, Buongiorno, Olivera; Lobotka; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, MCTominay; Lucca

Fiorentina vs Napoli Prediction

Fiorentina won’t go down with out a battle, however we anticipate them to ultimately succumb. A fiercely contested battle is on the playing cards, and that’s the place Conte’s males are likely to thrive. Subsequently, we again the guests to go away Florence with a hard-earned victory.

Prediction: Napoli to Win

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