Serie A Preview: Napoli vs Cagliari – Team News Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Napoli fans await Friday with bated breath as bottom-half Cagliari roll into town for a nerve-wracking Serie A finale. It all comes down to this for Antonio Conte and his side after they missed a golden chance to lock down a fourth Scudetto in the last round.

An uneventful showing at Stadio Ennio Tardini saw Napoli share the spoils with newcomers Parma in a disappointing scoreless draw. Conte’s expulsion toward the end of the game added insult to injury. However, Inter’s 2-2 home stalemate against Lazio offered them a saving grace.

Otherwise, Napoli would’ve entered the final matchday behind the Nerazzurri. This way, they head into proceedings as pacesetters, boasting a crucial one-point lead over the reigning champions. While that slender advantage could make all the difference, it leaves no room for error.

As the drama reaches a fever pitch, ex-Napoli ace Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is confident his former side will ascend the throne. During his recent interview with Sky Sport via FCInter1908, the architect of Napoli’s famous Serie A triumph in 2023 stated the Partenopei ‘will win the title.’

However, there’s no room for complacency, with Cagliari looking to spoil another celebratory summer in Naples. With top-flight survival in the bag, Davide Nicola’s men arrive at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona with nothing to lose. Indeed, the visitors have nothing but pride left to play for, potentially spelling trouble for Napoli’s lofty ambitions.

Match Preview

Napoli

The Maradona Stadium has been a fortress, with Napoli last losing a home league match in early December. They’ve since embarked on a formidable ten-game unbeaten home streak in Serie A (W7, D3), though their most recent outing in Naples yielded a stomach-wrenching 2-2 draw against Genoa.

That result offers a note of caution, even though the hosts don’t need to win at all costs to lift the title. Como could still do them a favor in another Friday-held encounter against Inter. However, Conte, though he won’t be in the dugout, would appreciate victory for the sake of mind. And Napoli are perfectly positioned to do just that.

Conte’s men have bagged at least two goals in their last five home league games, scooping up four wins in that period (D1). Furthermore, they are on a promising-looking eight-game unbeaten run against Cagliari (W5, D3), including a thumping 4-0 triumph in September’s reverse fixture.

Cagliari

Fresh off avoiding relegation with a game to spare, Cagliari head to Naples relieved of pressure. Nicola’s charges commence the final round in 14th, and that’s the ceiling of their ambitions, considering they cannot finish any higher than that even if they win.

Victory looks like a highly unlikely scenario. Indeed, the Sardinians have only taken one win across their last 14 visits to Napoli’s home ground (D4, L9). Therefore, it’s hard to imagine them finishing a Serie A season with a win for the first time since 2017/18.

Adding to this sentiment, Cagliari have won just one of their last league matches on the road (D3, L5), courtesy of a 2-0 triumph at Hellas Verona. That underwhelming run includes defeats to Napoli’s fellow top-five rivals Inter and Roma, painting a bleak picture for the visiting fans.

Team News

In addition to long-term absentee Juan Jesus, Napoli cannot count on standout midfielder Stanislav Lobotka. It means Billy Gilmour should start again. He will likely line up alongside his more esteemed countryman, Scott McTominay, who’s on course to become a new fan favorite.

On the other hand, Cagliari will likely take this trip without Zito Luvumbo and Gianluca Gaetano. But long-serving striker Leonardo Pavoletti returns from suspension and will probably deputy for Roberto Piccoli, who hit double digits for the season in a 3-0 rout of Venezia last weekend.

Napoli vs Cagliari Potential Starting Line-ups

Napoli (4-4-2): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Olivera, Spinazzola; Politano, Anguissa, Gilmour, McTominay; Raspadori, Lukaku.

Cagliari (3-5-1-1): Caprile; Zappa, Mina, Luperto; Zortea, Deiola, Makoumbou, Adopo, Augello; Viola; Piccoli.

Napoli vs Cagliari Prediction

Napoli haven’t lost their final league game of the season since 2018/19 (W3, D2), and it’s hard to see that run end on Friday. Strangers things have happened, but the Partenopei should sweep the floor with Cagliari and celebrate their second league title in three years in style.