Napoliโs next stop in their road to the Scudetto is the Castellani stadium as they will face Empoli away in a game that will open up Serie Aโs matchday 24.
Luciano Spallettiโs side sit at the top of the league with a comfortable 15-points lead over second placed Inter. Last Tuesday, they collected a major 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt away in the first leg of Champions Leagueโs last 16.
Napoliโs numbers in the league are impressive: theyโve lost just one game in Serie A and theyโve won 18 of their last 19 games, currently on a seven-win streak
They have scored 56 goals and conceded only 15 in the league this season. Itโs the third time in Serie A history that a team at this point of the season has a goal difference of more than +40 after Roma in 2003/04 (+41) and Juventus in 2017/18 (+44).
The Partenopei have also collected three consecutive clean sheets in Serie A and theyโre aiming to get a fourth. If that happens, it will be the second time under Luciano Spalletti that Napoli will not concede a goal in four straight league games.
It will be a tough job for Empoli, especially as theyโre winless in their last four games but they have already pulled off a masterclass in beating 1-0 Inter at San Siro in late January.
Results from their last five matches in all competitions:
Empoli:
D D L D W
Napoli:
W W W W W
Team News
No major changes are expected in Napoliโs line-up, which means that Victor Osimhen will start the game after scoring in each of his last seven Serie A games.
With a goal today, heโll become the first player to score in eight league appearances in a row since Cristiano Ronaldo.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will start too while Hirving Lozano and Matteo Politano are in contention with the latter favourite to start.
The big, and really bad, news for Empoli is that Francesco Caputo is in doubt. Heโs suffering from muscle fatigue and thereโs no certainty about his presence.
Striker Nicolรฒ Cambiaghi is out too due to injury so Martin Satriano and Roberto Piccoli are likely to start upfront. Coach Paolo Zanetti will miss midfielders Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro and Filippo Bandinelli too as theyโve been suspended.
Predicted XIs
Empoli (4-3-1-2): Vicario, Ebuehi, Luperto, Ismajli, Parisi; Henderson, Marin, Haas; Baldanzi; Satriano, Piccoli.
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim, Mario Rui; Anguissa, Lobotka, Elmas; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia.
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Andrea Agostinelli | GIFN
