Arsenal will travel to Naples later this week to take on Napoli in the UEFA Champions League. Clarity is emerging over how the Italian side can set up.
The game comes days after the Partenopei picked up a painful defeat at the hands of Inter Milan. They found themselves 2-0 up by the 60th minute, thanks to goals from Rasmus Højlund and Matteo Politano. But the Italian champions responded quickly and turned it around, scoring a winner in stoppage time.
Napoli had their backs to the walls entirely for the last half an hour. That is something Max Allegri’s side will want to change, with the Arsenal game coming up.
Selection changes on the way
Scott McTominay is Napoli’s major absentee, with the midfielder set to undergo heart surgery on Tuesday.
Interestingly, Kevin De Bruyne could come into the side and make his first start of the campaign. He could replace Antonio Vergara in the left central midfield spot of the 4-3-3.
There is a chance Stanislav Lobotka is rested, having started all three Serie A games. But Allegri might not take that big a risk, as the ex-Ajax man is vital to how Napoli play.
The backline is more of a concern, though. Alessandro Buongiorno was ruled out due to a long-term issue many weeks ago. Napoli signed Benoit Badiashile and he hasn’t quite settled in. This has left Allegri starting with Rafa Marin and Amir Rrahmani but, as Sport Witness has assessed, the pairing has been far from perfect.
Allegri may not have a choice, leaving the two to start again, unless he takes the risk of starting Badiashile. A change of formation would be a big gamble, amidst suggestions the manager can revert to a familiar back three.
Napoli go in as underdogs
The Partenopei have now lost their last two games, the other being against Cesc Fabregas’ Como. That game exposed their inability in possession, as Fabregas’ side dropped very deep in the second half and Napoli didn’t do much. However, defensive concerns became the talking point in Milan.
There are clearly areas across the squad that need addressing for Napoli. De Bruyne’s addition could be a plus but Allegri still appears unsure of how to use the Belgian.
This makes them underdogs, especially as Arsenal come into the tie after the win over Chelsea.
