Osimhen unlikely to feature as Napoli returns in eighth-place race.

2024-09-21

In a thrilling midtable showdown, Fiorentina host Napoli at Stadio Artemio Franchi on Friday night, with La Viola chasing an improbable sixth-place finish and the Partenopei desperate to end their winless streak.

Fiorentina

Europa Conference League finalists Fiorentina got back to winning ways at the weekend after a comeback 2-1 win over Monza on home turf. Arthur Melo [78’] came up with the late winner to help the Purples get over the line after a 46-minute-long stalemate.

Fiorentina are in 8th place on the Serie A table, with a sixth-place finish remaining mathematically possible having played one game less. The team [DWWLW] has 53 points [15W, 8D, & 12L], seven points adrift of 6th-placed Roma [60 points], with three games left for La Viola. They, however, will have to win all three remaining games to stand an unlikely chance of leapfrogging Roma, who have a relatively easier fixture coming up at the weekend against Genoa.

The Purples have won two of their last four matches against Napoli in Serie A [2W, 1D, 1L], as many victories as in their previous 15 matches against the Neapolitan team in the competition [2W, 4D, 9L]. After the 3-1 win in the reverse fixture last October, Fiorentina could pick up a league double over Napoli in a Serie A season for the first time since 1995–96.

Vincenzo Italiano is expected to line up a 4—2—3—1 with M'Bala Nzola in attack for this weekend’s fixture against Napoli.

Napoli

Napoli sits right below Fiorentina in 9th place on the Serie A table with 51 points (13 wins, 12 draws, and 11 losses). The Blues are without a win in their last five games, resulting in a form of DLDLL. With 8th place being their best possible finish after ceding the Serie A title to Inter Milan, this game is crucial.

They make the trip to Fiorentina, hoping to pick up a required win in Friday's midtable clash in a desperate dash for a place in the next edition of the Conference League. The Partenopei have lost only one of their last 14 away matches against Fiorentina in Serie A, boasting a record of 7 wins, 6 draws, and 1 loss.

Having failed to win any of their last five Serie A matches (0 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses), the deposed champions could now go on a six-game winless streak for the first time since a run of eight seen between October and December 2019.

Victor Osimhen, who was at the center of the 4—3—3 formation in the 2-0 loss to Bologna last weekend, is not expected to feature here due to a muscular injury. The Nigerian international failed to take part in training earlier this week, leaving either Giacomo Raspadori or Giovanni Simeone as options for the center-forward role.