NAPOLI are many people's idea of a dark horse to win this season's Champions League crown and they will get a stern test of their credentials this week when they go to Germany to face Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Azzurri are a stick-on to surely win their first Serie A title since the halcyon days of Diego Maradona in 1990 after a magnificent campaign where they have only lost one league game and currently sit 15 points clear at the top.
Not only that, but they were superb in the Champions League qualifiers earlier on in the season where they easily topped a group including Liverpool, Ajax and Rangers.
However, they face a club who are notorious for raising their game on the European stage – a trait which famously led them to Europa League glory last season when they defeated the Ibrox men in the final in Seville on penalties, after previously winning in Barcelona en route to the final.
This season, they are in sixth place and still have an outside chance of Bundesliga glory, being five points off the pace at the time of writing.
They qualified from their group which included Spurs, Sporting Lisbon and Marseille, which included away wins in France and Portugal.
How the bookies view it
Napoli are favourites to win in Germany and are 6/5 with UniBet. Eintracht Frankfurt can be backed at 12/5 with SBK, while bet365 have the draw at 13/5.
Recent head to heads
The clubs have never met.
Players to watch
Randal Muani has been in splendid form recently for Eintracht and is their top scorer this season. The French ace has netted seven goals in his last six games including their weekend win against Werder Bremen. He is 5/2 to score with UniBet.
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen is having the season of a lifetime. He has scored 19 goals in 23 appearances this season which includes six goals in his last five games. He scored in Napoli's weekend win over Sassuolo and is 7/4 to score with bet365 which could be a touch of value.
Anything else catch the eye?
Napoli won't take Eintracht lightly, especially with the hosts notorious for finding a different level in Europe. However, the Italians look to have all the ingredients to mount a serious challenge for this trophy this season and can gain a first leg advantage.
They won't be fazed by a ferocious atmosphere having already played at Anfield and Ibrox. Sporting Lisbon won 3-0 at the Waldstadion already this season and Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg have also tasted success there.
Napoli have shown very few signs of easing off and have won seven in a row in Serie A, conceding just two goals in the process. They have a rock solid defence and a clean sheet is a real prospect at 16/5 to in to nil with Coral too.
This UEFA Champions League match between Eintract Frankfurt and Napoli will be played on Feb 21, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Eintract Frankfurt vs Napoli prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
