22 September 2021, 16:47 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
The Serie A TIM fixture, U.C. Sampdoria vs. S.S.C. Napoli, kicks off at 17:30 (GMT+1) on Matchday 5, Thursday, September 23, at the 36,599-capacity stadium, Luigi Ferraris.
Preview Sampdoria Serie A, Sep 23, 2021
Preview La Samp picked up a comfortable 3-0 win on the road over Empoli on Matchday 4 at the Stadio Carlo Castellani. A brace from Francesco Caputo (31' & 52') coupled with another goal from Antonio Candreva (70') settled the contest of ninety minutes. Empoli had started the first half better and we did well not to concede a goal at that stage, D’Aversa told Sky Sport Italia after the game. But the positive is that we hung on and then took the lead, he added. It was Sampdoria's first win of the season, LDDW, and it moved the club to 11th place with a total of 5 points gathered from 1W, 2D, & 1L. La Samp have an average of 1.25 g.s.p.g, having hit the back of the net five times in four games this season. The club has also conceded three times (0.75 g.c.p.g) and has a G.D. of +2. A victory over Napoli appears to be near-impossible, but a point would be a fine result, considering red-hot-form Napoli are currently at their best. A 4—3—1—2 formation with Caputo and Fabio Quagliarella in attack is expected on Thursday. Caputo reached 50 Serie A goals after the brace against Empoli and has two against Napoli in five Serie A meetings. He will be in the hunt for the third one on Matchday 5.
Preview Napoli Serie A, Sep 23, 2021
Preview Napoli brushed Udinese aside in a 4-0 win on Monday at the Stadio Friuli. Victor Osimhen (24') applied the final touch after Insigne had the goalkeeper beaten for Napoli's first before Amir Rrahmani (35') doubled the lead with a fine header for the second. Koulibaly (52') struck for the third. And then, second-half substitute, Hirving Lozano (84'), wrapped up the three points in style with a right-footed curler which had the goalkeeper joining the guest list of spectators. Having picked up 12 points from 4W, 0D, & 0L, Napoli are in 1st place with four victories in a row: WWWW. At the start, we weren’t able to break up their passing game, Spalletti said after the 4-0 win. But we then grew into the game and stamped our authority on it, he added. The club has 10 goals (2.5 g.s.p.g) and a G.D. of +8 after conceding twice (0.5 g/p) in four games. In the books, this is the sixth time Napoli have won their first four Serie A games. However, on the last five occasions, the club has only managed a top-five finish without picking up the Scudetto. Spalletti aims to break the five-time jinx, and on Thursday he could appear alongside I Partenopei with the 4—2—3—1 formation. Victor Osimhen is expected to be at the top of the design for this trip to the Stadio Friuli.