Napoli – Real Madrid : Preview & Prediction
Last season’s Serie A champions Napoli head into this exciting UEFA Champions League (UCL) matchday two clash against Real Madrid on a high note, having scored four goals in each of their last two league games (G2). A 2-1 winner over Braga on matchday one, the Neapolitan side strings together a run of five matches unbeaten in all competitions (G3, E2) before taking on Real Madrid for the first time since 2017.
It’s a high-flying duel that Rudi Garcia has been looking forward to. AS Roma sacked the current Napoli coach just a month before their Round of 16 clash against Madrid in 2015-16. Napoli have never beaten Madrid (E1, P3), and since the 14-time European champions beat the Azzurri away more than five years ago, the only team to beat the Neapolitan side away in a UCL match has been Manchester City (G11, E4). In four of their five most recent UCL home matches, Napoli have scored at least three goals (G4, E1).
Madrid will need to come out fully focused, especially given their significant absentees in defense, although the absences did not prevent the Blancos from keeping a clean sheet at Girona on Saturday (GIR 0-3 RM) to go top of LaLiga. It will be a special match for Carlo Ancelotti, who is facing one of his former clubs for the first time since 2009, and the award-winning Italian coach will be hoping his players can repeat at the Diego Armando Maradona the all-round performance they put in at Montilivi last weekend.
Los Blancos are good at playing on Ancelotti’s home turf, recording a clean sheet in their last five away UCL games against Italian clubs. To extend that unblemished run, Madrid will undoubtedly need to raise their game and be much more accurate than they were in their opening day clash against Union Berlin (1-0), against whom they picked up all three points thanks to a 94th-minute goal from savior Jude Bellingham!
Players to watch: Striker Victor Osimhen, a possible Real Madrid reinforcement in the upcoming transfer window, has scored five goals this season. Joselu, meanwhile, has four goals for Madrid so far this campaign, and the Stuttgart-born Galician striker has scored just one of those four goals – the opener against Girona – before the break.
Serie A highlight: There have been goals from both teams in each of Napoli’s last seven home meetings with Spanish clubs (NAP: G1, E4, P2).
Napoli – Real Madrid : Betting Tips
Napoli – Win Odds: 2.35
