Serie A leaders Napoli host Hellas Verona at the Stadio San Paolo on Saturday afternoon, with the home side looking to consolidate their position at the top of the standings. The home side have lost just once all season, with Maurizio Sarri’s men hoping to apply yet more pressure on their relegation threatened opponents, who have lost their last two Serie A outings.
Italian Serie A – Stadio San Paolo, Naples – Saturday 6th January – 14:00 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 9 at Betway |
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Napoli
VeronaMatch Preview
Napoli are looking to start the new year with a bang with they take on Hellas Verona in Naples this weekend, with the league leaders looking for a comfortable win over their out-of-form opponents. Having won their last three outings in the Italian top-flight, it is undoubtedly Napoli who are the firm favourites for victory, however, for those still unsure of who to back, be sure to check out our top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Napoli Team News & Form
Napoli come into the clash off the back of a hard-fought 1-0 away win over Crotone, as well as a recent successes over Sampdoria and Torino. Such results mean that Sarri’s team still hold a narrow lead over rivals Juventus in the table, with the Naples-based club having wowed with their attacking football so far this season. Midfielder Marek Hamsik has recently become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, with the Slovakian set to line up alongside the likes of Jorginho and the attacking trio of Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne. Napoli have scored 42 goals in Serie A this season, conceding just 13, giving them the second-best records both offensively and defensively.
Hellas Verona Team News & Form
Since beating AC Milan 3-0 in front of their home supporters just a matter of weeks ago, Hellas Verona have lost to both Juventus and Udinese, results that leave them two points clear of safety in the Serie A standings. The visitors have conceded a massive 39 goals from their 19 matches so far this season, which will certainly be a worry for manager Fabio Pecchia. On-loan Juventus man Moise Kean and veteran striker Giampaolo Pazzini represent the biggest attacking threats for the visitors meanwhile.
Head to Head
The two teams have met 11 times in the past, with Napoli having won nine of such meetings, as well as registering one draws. Napoli claimed six points from Hellas Verona last season, which included a 3-0 success in front of their home supporters.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Given their position in the standings and their status as the home team this weekend, it comes as little surprise that it is Napoli who are the favourites for victory with the bookmakers. Those looking to back the home side can take advantage of odds of 1/9 with Ladbrokes, while the visitors are available at odds of 20/1 with the same bookmaker.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on Napoli scoring over 2.5 goals during the 90 minutes on Saturday, which is available at odds 1/2 ahead of kick-off at Paddy Power.