Napoli will be targeting a positive start to the new Serie A season as they begin their campaign with a trip to Verona. The Neapolitans will be counting on their fine record in this fixture and should have the upper hand over Verona.
Verona come into the new season seeking an improvement on last year’s disappointing campaign. They spent much of the season in the bottom half of the table and eventually finished just three points above the relegation zone.
Things were pretty smooth for Verona in preseason as they were unbeaten in five warm-up matches, although it was mostly against lower league opposition. Paolo Zanetti’s men have already lost their first competitive game of the season as they were beaten 2-1 at home by Cesena in the first round of the Coppa Italia.
After enduring one of the worst title defences in recent times, Napoli will be targeting a fresh start under Antonio Conte. The Italian gaffer has enjoyed huge success with the likes of Inter Milan and Juventus and will be hoping to bring some of that to Naples.
Conte appears to have an idea of how his team should look and one change he is attempting to make is swapping Victor Osimhen for Romelu Lukaku. Napoli won three of their four preseason matches and overcame Modena on penalties in the first round of the Coppa Italia after a 0-0 draw in normal time.
How the bookies view it: Bookies backing Napoli
Napoli have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 5/6 by Betfred to claim the win. Verona are considered outsiders at 100/30 while Betfred is also offering odds of 13/5 for a draw.
Head to head: Fine record for Napoli
Napoli have an 18-5 advantage with eight draws from 31 previous matches against Verona. The Neapolitans did the double last season with the clash in Verona ending in a 3-1 victory.
Players to watch: Kvaratskhelia on the haunt again
With Osimhen not expected to feature on Sunday, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will be the man tasked with providing the spark in attack. The forward scored three times against Verona last season and is priced at 15/8 by Betfred to find the net once again.
Judging by preseason, Napoli appear to be favouring defensive solidity having kept clean sheets in four of their last five matches. Amir Rrahmani and Alessandro Buongiorno should feature at the back and can lead the Neapolitans to a clean sheet at 6/4 with Betfred.
Probable line-ups
Casper Tengstedt came off the bench to score for Verona in the Coppa Italia and could be given a start on Sunday. Ondrej Duda is set to feature in midfield while Diego Coppola should start in defence.
Osimhen is set to seal a move away from Napoli and is not expected to feature on Sunday. Giacomo Raspadori should lead the line with support from Kvaratskhelia while Alessandro Buongiorno should start at the back.
Verona: Montipo, Okou, Magnani, Coppola, Harraoi, Lazovic, Tchatchoua, Suslov, Silva, Duda, Tengstedt
Napoli: Meret, Buongiorno, Rrahmani, Di Lorenzo, Spinazzola, Lobotka, Anguissa, Mazzocchi, Kvaratskhelia, Politano, Raspadori
Anything else catch the eye?
Given Napoli’s defensive showings in preseason, a win to nil could be considered at 2/1 by Betfred. Their attacking quality also means they could be backed in the -1 handicap market at 9/4 with Betfred.
Napoli have plenty of options in attack and could be backed to score in both halves at 7/4 with Betfred.
This Serie A match between Verona and Napoli will be played on Aug 18, 2024 and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Verona vs Napoli prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
