Napoli v Milan Match Result
On first glance, Napoli look a backable price to overcome Milan. After all, Antonio Conte’s side have won ten of their fourteen home encounters, scoring twenty-one goals and conceding just ten times. However, the fly in the ointment is that the Naples side have forgotten how to win football matches. There has been just one victory in the previous seven encounters and that’s clearly a concern.
After a seven-game winning run between 14 December and 25 January, the team’s form went off a cliff. There were three successive draws against Roma, Udinese and Lazio, with a 2-1 defeat at Como representing a setback to the team’s title hopes. There was then that 1-1 draw with Inter, with a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina coming before a goalless draw at Venezia.
It does feel as though Napoli’s form is starting to slip away, with a victory pretty imperative to ensure that the team don’t fall further behind in their quest to challenge Inter for the title. In a recent 2-1 win against Fiorentina, there were eleven shots on target and they also had the lion’s share of the chances when drawing 1-1 with Inter.
As for Milan, they have not managed to match the highs of last season which saw them in a title race for long stretches of the campaign, with the Rossoneri having suffered three consecutive 2-1 defeats in recent times. They came in away games to Torino and Bologna before a 2-1 home reverse against Lazio, although they do appear to have turned a recent corner.
A 3-2 victory at Lecce saw an inspired comeback from two goals down and they were also able to come from behind in order to secure a victory over Como, although they could be vulnerable against a talented Napoli team.
Goals Under/Over
It’s dealer’s choice as far as Over or Under 2.5 Goals is concerned. Milan away games have generally been high-scoring this term, with a sum total of forty-two goals being scored in their fourteen matches on the road. The recent 3-2 win at Lecce was a game in hand, with all of the previous five games featuring the Rossoneri seeing three goals or more being scored and perhaps this trend will continue.
However, the previous four Milan matches saw two goals or less being scored. There’s also the fact that Napoli run a tight ship in defence, with the Azzurri having conceded just ten times at the Diego Maradona Stadium. Before a goalless draw away to Venezia, three of the previous four games involving the Naples side saw three or more goals scored.
BTTS
BTTS Yes is likely to happen according to the latest betting odds although that outcome is only trading marginally shorter than BTTS No. Before that goalless draw against Venezia, there were eight consecutive Napoli games where both teams found the net, with Antonio Conte’s side having enjoyed a long stretch of matches where they have been able to score.
The last time that Napoli kept a clean sheet at home came against Verona on Sunday 12 January, with the ensuing four games at the Diego Maradona Stadium seeing both sides finding the net. Milan’s previous six encounters have also ended in BTTS Yes and one can’t help but feel as though this is the backable option out of the two selections.
Not only have the Rossoneri scored in these matches, they have netted five times in their previous two encounters. There was an element of fortune about their win over Como considering only three shots on target were registered, although they managed to get nine shots on goal when it came to their recent away clash against Lecce.
First Goalscorer
Romelu Lukaku’s recent goal against Fiorentina means that the Belgian is into double figures for the season, with this ending a run of five games without a goal for the striker. He previously enjoyed a purple patch when firing past Fiorentina, Atalanta and Juventus, with Napoli needing him to be at his best if they are to hang on to the coat tails of Inter.
Giacomo Raspadori can also be taken into consideration after the Italian demonstrated his scoring prowess in recent encounters. Goals against Lazio, Como and Fiorentina suggest that the player is keeping his eye in, with Frank Anguissa another contender who has been able to find the net in recent encounters.
As for Milan, Christian Pulisic is a player who can go well and the American often comes up with the goods. He chipped in with a brace away to Lecce and that came before another goal against Como. We might also expect him to be on penalty duties, with Tijjani Reijnders having scored fifteen times in all competitions and the Dutchman’s latest act was to score against Como.