CLUES AND CHOICES – A bit of a surprise, it is Faouzi Ghoulam the man-cover chosen by Napoli to present the match scheduled tonight with AZ Alkmaar on social networks. Seven days ago against Rijeka the Algerian full-back was back in the starting position and it is possible that this evening will also be confirmed from the first minute. Could this be a sign of training on the cover?
Napoli should return to 4-3-3, at least in men. It is a change of course, an adaptation – reports Sky Sport – dictated by the absence of Victor Osimhen and his offensive propensity. For this there will be an extra midfielder and Zielinski’s position will then have to be evaluated. There will be no Petagna, Mertens will still be the center forward. The probable formation follows: Ospina; By Lorenzo, Maksimovic, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Fabian Ruiz, Bakayoko, Zielinski; Politano, Mertens, Insigne
STATS – Napoli have only won one out of seven games against Dutch teams (P2 L4) and have never managed to win the Netherlands, where they drew the first match and lost the next two. The most recent ended in a 2-1 defeat to Feyenoord in the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League group stage, despite Piotr Zieliński’s 2-minute lead.
Hirving Lozano, before being bought by Napoli in the summer of 2019, had shown all his talent in the Netherlands with the PSV shirt. And tonight he will rediscover an Eredivisie association. In the three previous matches on the AZ field, from 2017 to 2019, the Mexican has scored three goals. Not bad.
PREVIEW – “AZ are a well organized team with young and interesting players. In Naples they surprised us with their compactness, but at home they play a different football: they are dangerous, have speed and put you in difficulty with possession and width. . It will take a great Napoli to make a result “, Gattuso’s words at the conference, aware that AZ in the last home match came close to winning, putting in crisis even with Real Sociedad. It is no coincidence that the turnover will be reduced practically to a minimum: space for Maksimovic with Koulibaly with the return of Ospina between the posts, probably Ghoulam on the left for Mario Rui, in midfield Bakayoko will return with Fabian and Zielinski (in the usual double role as midfielder or subhead, oscillating between two modules) and Insigne, Mertens and Politano from the beginning. Considering that Ospina, Politano and Bakayoko can be considered two co-owners, the changes could be just two with Maksimovic and Ghoulam.
Friends of Tuttonapoli, good evening and welcome to the AZ-Napoli direct text! Napoli takes the field in Alkmaar with the aim of beating AZ and closing the qualification speech. We need a victory for the Azzurri to avoid keeping the Dutch in the running and then risk in the last home game against Real Sociedad, who will challenge Rijeka already out today. Taking the three points away from the AZ field will not be a walk in the park and Rino Gattuso has set the last few days on this: the Napoli coach is aware that the non-high-sounding name of the Dutch deceives the real value of the Slot team, capable of the last year to be preferred to Ajax, finishing first on equal points (but second for goal difference) for the stop in the championship. After having had half a squad in the pits for Covid and a difficult start, AZ are now in full swing with four victories in a row in the league, three of which without conceding goals.
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