A classic of Italian football, with meanings that transcend the pitch, especially for the Neapolitan people: it is Juventus – Napoli. Saturday September 21 at 6:00 p.m.it will take place at Juventus Stadium Turin, valid for the 5th day of Serie A. Many themes for this match: the two teams are separated by only one point and it is a special challenge for the Neapolitan coach Antonio Conte, former player and coach of the bianconeri, who led Juventus to three consecutive titles from 2012. The championship is only just beginning, many things remain to be said on the pitch, but this match can shed light on some aspects of the game of two teams that have changed a lot this summer, starting with the bench.
Thiago Motta: “De Rossi’s dismissal surprised me, I wrote to him.” Then on Naples: “Fantastic relationship with Conte, but we are different”
The coaches
One is last year’s revelation in Serie A, the other is a name that for many fans is synonymous with victory. Thiago Motta and Anthony Conte. Lecce had the Italian-Brazilian at their disposal during their tenure as national coach and the first confrontation between the two as coaches cost Motta his dismissal. It was a Inter-Genoa on December 21, 2019 and ended 4-0 for the Nerazzurri. Since then, many things have changed: Conte arrived in Naples after two disappointing years at Tottenham, ended by a dismissal, and a sabbatical year; Thiago Motta has just achieved a feat by bringing back Bologna in the Champions League after 60 years and he did it with a new and entertaining football. Different records, certainly, but balanced by a different career period. In Naples, Conte seeks redemption, in Turin, Motta seeks consecration.
The giants
Juventus – Napoli can only make you think, not only for fantasy football coaches, about the strikers that teams are counting on for the goals that should take them to the Champions League, if not higher. Dusan Vlahovic and Romelu Lukaku are currently tied in the scorers’ rankings, with two goals each. But what are their prospects for the season? Last season, in Thiago Motta’s Bologna, Joshua Zirkzee exploded, the center forward, but more for his ability to link the game and build the action than for that of finishing it (11 goals). In short, we do not play to make Vlahovic score; it will be up to him to create spaces in the penalty area. We cannot say the same of Lukaku in Naples. Antonio Conte turned him into a goal machine at Inter – 64 goals in two years together in Milan – and he wanted it at all costs in this new experience. The Lecce coach’s game is more based on the centre-forward, but the Belgian will have to find the lucidity and composure that he has lacked in recent seasons.
Fantasy
Also interesting is the duel between those who have the task of providing the two attackers and breaking the opposing defenses with unpredictable actions. These are Kenan Yildiz et Kvicha Kvaratskhelia the fantasy carriers of Juventus and Naples. The Turk comes from a historic evening: on Tuesday, against PSV Eindhoven, he became the youngest goalscorer of the bianconeri in the Champions Leaguesurpassing nothing less than Alessandro DelPiero. A great start to his adventure with one of the heaviest number 10s in football history on his shoulders. Kvara, meanwhile, has regained his composure and seems to have returned to being the one from the title-winning season. He already has 2 goals and 2 assists. Both have always been starters in Serie A this year and are already indispensable for their coaches, but the Turk has yet to score in the league.
The defense
Juventus-Napoli is also the meeting between the best defense and the best attack so far. The Bianconeri have not yet conceded a goal in Serie A, but they have been held to a 0-0 draw twice against Roma and Empoli. On the other hand, Napoli have scored 9 goals, with 4 conceded. Among these, the three conceded on the first day in Verona weigh heavily. Since the second day, the Neapolitans have found the defensive solidity so dear to Antonio Conte. This is also due to the integration ofAlessandro Good morninga former Torino player who turned down Juventus this summer because it would have been a “betrayal, first and foremost towards myself”. The Bianconeri defense looks very solid with the duo Bremer-Gattibut the latter, although available, came out a little injured against PSV and could rest in favor of the captain Danilo. The former Verona player Cabal could also become a starter again.
Probable formations
JUVENTUS (4-2-3-1) : Di Gregorio ; Cabal, Danilo, Bremer, Cambiaso ; Locatelli, Thuram ; Nico Gonzalez, Koopmeiners, Yildiz ; Vlahovic. Trainer : Thiago Motta
NAPOLI (3-4-2-1) : Meret ; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno ; Mazzocchi, Lobotka, Anguissa, Spinazzola ; Politano, Kvaratskhelia ; Lukaku. Entertainer : Conte
Where to watch it
The match between Juventus and Napoli will be exclusively visible on DAZN via the app on smart TVs, as well as on gaming consoles (PlayStation and Xbox) and devices such as the TIMVISION Box, Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick. DAZN can also be activated from the ‘Prime Video Channels’ section on Amazon Prime Video.
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