Serie A unbeaten league leaders Napoli will host 9th-placed Torino at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Saturday at 14:00 GMT.
Napoli will be looking to extend their winning run to four points in Serie A, whereas Napoli will be looking to bounce back to winning ways after losing two consecutive matches in the league.
Match Preview
Can Napoli Extend their Winning Run in Serie A to Four Consecutive Matches?
Luciano Spalletti is satisfied with his side’s pacesetting form in Serie A this season. Their current three-match winning run has elevated them to the top of the table ahead of Atalanta on goal difference.
Napoli’s clash on Saturday against Torino will be based on the ability of the home side to score goals. They have breached the opposition’s defense in all but one of their seven Serie A matches this term.
Spalletti will be focused on the high-intensity and high-energy performance of his side to overcome the defensive compactness of Torino. He will emphasize quick play with purposeful passing in the final third to create clear-cut chances.
Can Torino Bounce Back to Winning Ways After Losing Twice Consecutively in Serie A?
Having kept just two clean sheets this term, Torino will be looking to re-jig their defensive shape to contain the rampant attacking style adopted by Napoli.
Ivan Jurić will be more interested in finding the right attacking and defending balance as opposed to just sending his side out to defend. Given the attacking potency of Napoli, defending in 90 minutes will be quite a herculean task away from home.
Therefore, Torino will be brave on the ball and will look to play through the Napoli press. This will give them a chance to create chances if they break the press. Transition attacks will also be crucial for Torino as they look to pose an attacking threat to the Napoli defense.
Form Guide
Napoli
Napoli are unbeaten in the opening seven outings in Serie A this term. In their last five fixtures, Spalletti’s men have won three times and drawn twice. They have collected 11 points and dropped four in the process.
The three wins came in matches against Lazio away from home (1-2), at home to Spezia (1-0), and away to the home of the Champions AC Milan (2-1). The two draws came in the 0-0 away to Fiorentina and the 1-1 at home to Lecce.
Spalletti will be looking to continue the good vein of form of his side when they host Torino on Saturday.
Torino
Torino have won just twice in their last five matches in Serie A. Across the opening seven matches in the season, they have won three times, drawn once, and lost three times.
In their last five outings, Ivan Jurić’s side won in clashes away to Cremonese (1-2) and at home to Lecce (1-0). The defeats came away to in-form Atalanta (3-1), away to Inter (1-0), and at home to Sassuolo (0-1).
Ivan Jurić will be looking to bolster his side’s defensive shape to make them harder to score against and minimize the chances they are conceding, starting with the Saturday clash away to Napoli.
Possible Starting Lineups
Napoli
Meret; M. Rui, M. Kim, A. Rahmani, G. Di Lorenzo; P. Zielinski, S. Lobotka, A. Anguissa; K. Kvaratskhelia, G. Raspadori, M. Politano
Torino
Milinkovic-Savic; R. Rodriguez, A. Buongiorno, K. Djidji; M. Vojvoda, K. Linetty, S. Lukic, V. Lazaro; N. Vlasic, D. Seck; A. Sanabria
Players to Watch
P. Zielinski
The 28-year-old Polish international has been a major part of the Napoli machine that has started the Serie A season superbly.
He has a goal in seven appearances for Napoli, underscoring his importance with sterling performances in Serie A and the Champions league.
Zielinski will be crucial for Napoli in the middle of the pack in the clash with Torino.
A. Sanabria
The 26-year-old Paraguayan is a mainstay for Torino up front this season. In seven appearances, he has scored once this season as Torino have struggled to gain consistent performances.
However, Sanabria is an important cog in the way Torino play, especially in the attacking third. He will be important in the clash with Napoli.
Napoli vs Torino Prediction
Napoli will dominate possession playing in front of the home fans. Their pressing will afford them attacking positions, and thus push Torino back to a defensive unit.
Torino will seek to be compact and solid with a pragmatic approach. They will depend on transition attacks and set pieces to pose an attacking threat.
Napoli will win the match and extend their unbeaten run.
