Serie A betting tip : Hellas Verona- Napoli...................starring Gennaro "you disgust me" Gattuso...........
Jan 24, 2021
Serie A : Hellas Verona- Napoli
I previewed this game last season, post lockdown, so fairly recently and a lot of the comments I focussed on that day are still relevant, so let's start with a look back at those ..........
Having yo-yoed between A and B for the last four seasons Verona will have been delighted how this campaign has played out , with no relegation issues and sitting in 7th currently, just one place and point adrift of Napoli and Milan although the latter have played a game more. No real pressure on the host who can relax and try to take control of the race for Europa League, but whilst a place in Europe is a necessity for Milan and Napoli, it can be a poisoned chalice for teams like Verona, I would cite Espanyol in La Liga this season as an example and maybe just a few years of league stability first would suit them better and give a platform to build from. Napoli are easily the stronger of the two , holding a big last eight game and seasonal (+123) ITB advantage and xP puts them 8 points ahead, which, if anything, is flattering to Verona. The hosts will be without suspended LW Fabio Borini, Verona are unbeaten in the 7 games he has played since his January arrival, but lost to Sampdoria in the only start he has missed.
Napoli have actually already claimed a Europa League spot, courtesy of their Coppa Italia win last midweek, but they enjoy playing on the road and in this fixture, they have an incredible 63.38% away win rate since May 2016 through 71 games (45-15-11). Also winning the last six h2h games by a combined 15-1 and all by 2+ goals. Napoli could still catch Roma in 5th (trail by six points, but host them in 12 days time) and I suspect that will be their target, they also have to play Atalanta who look too far ahead to catch, but nothing to lose in the attempt and Gli Azzurri might as well keep winning and see how far it takes them and strange things do happen late in every Serie A campaign. Napoli head coach Gennaro Gattuso (who famously told his players after a loss that they disgusted him !) doesn't feel like the kind of guy to give up on any game or a man you would want to disappoint, he sorted out a "lack of effort" on the training ground early in his tenure and now that things have started to turn their way, he will ensure commitment levels are kept high. Also, he can help his beloved Milan, where he spent 15 years as player and coach, by winning this.
Napoli won that 2-0 to continue the trend and they have now won 5/6 trips to Verona and six in a row h2h in Naples and all eleven by 2 + goals ! Verona finished 9th last season and occupy the same position this time round and it is kind of ideal, they do not "need" that European involvement until they have made the next leap forward and they certainly do not want any bottom six issues, upper mid table enables them to build and plan for the future. Napoli are 5th this morning, they will stay ahead of Juventus and move up to third with a game in hand should they win today and they are in the heart of the closest title race in decades and numbers suggest they are top 3 and with probably the best defensive stats in Italy (only Juve offer competition). Verona actually have bottom six ITB figures and this is a fixture that Napoli who have been as good as anyone on the road in serie A over the last five years (see above) should be winning with a degree of comfort. The visitors did let a few away games slip late in 19-20 but that was understandable with little at stake, they have won 6/8 on the road this season and they have to be the pick today.
2 units Napoli -1 ball 2.66 asian line/Sportmarket.
Good luck !
We don't just sell football betting tips, as you can see there is an extensive analysis behind our asian handicap selections. Subscribing to our sports betting advice service need not break the bank. Learn more by visiting our subscriptions page.
Country:
Sport:
Competition: