Serie A side Napoli open their Champions League campaign against Arsenal later today and interestingly, both clubs are accustomed to playing in a very pragmatic style.
Max Allegri is known for setting his teams up deep and attacking the right spaces with pace.ย
Mikel Artetaโs Arsenal are also structured but are much more fluid in possession and rely on quick movements, making them much more dangerous when theyโre on the ball.
While the Gunners go in as favourites โ especially as Napoli havenโt won the last two league games, there are three Partenopei players who can cause harm to Arsenal.
Kevin De Bruyne
In the Belgian, the Gunners come across a familiar foe. For Arteta, De Bruyne is much more familiar because of their time together at Manchester City.
At Napoli, the attacking midfielder faced some injury worries last season. But the start to this season has been more promising. He scored against Genoa โ albeit controversially and is ready to start today.ย
With Stanislav Lobotka possibly to start from the bench, De Bruyne will also drop deep โ as he did against Como, to aid Billy Gilmour. He knows how to beat the London side and will be very important.
Rasmus Hojlund
Like De Bruyne, even ex-Manchester United player knows Arsenal well. He has found his form in Naples, finding the net against Como with a terrific finish and also scoring against Inter.
Physically, he has grown quite a bit and can hold off defenders very well now. His hammer of a left foot has only become more of a strength and this is constantly seen in league games.
Arsenal, coincidentally, had tried to sign the Dane in 2023 and today will be a fitting way for him show to why they wanted him.
Alisson Santos
The 23-year-old will be a bit of a wild card for Napoli and he indeed was that in the second half of last season. He offers a lot of unpredictability on the left flank and is expected to start today.
The Brazilian is raw and can rattle full-backs with his pace and 1v1 ability. Taking him for granted will be a mistake and many have made that mistake in Serie A.
Kaustubh Pandey โ GIFN
