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Horse Racing Bologna vs Napoli Bet Builder Tips: A tough challenge awaits lacklustre Napoli
Bologna vs Napoli Bet Builder Tips OPTA Stats and Player Props
This week, Daniele Fisichella‘s Bologna vs Napoli Bet Builder tips article is focused on the 17:00 kick-off on Sunday. After dropping points against Lazio and Genoa, Rudi Garcia’s men can’t afford to lose more ground from Serie A leaders. It was certainly a tricky fixture for the champions of Italy, who got a late winner in the Champions League against Braga but looked far from convincing.
Bologna, under Thiago Motta, plays one of the best brands of football in Serie A and has a habit of taking points at the Renato Dall’Ara against top sides.
Bet Builder odds: 4.00
Italy, Serie A, Sunday, September 24th, 5:00pm (UK)
Odds via bet365 as at 9.45 am, September 21st 2023. Odds may now differ.
Bologna vs Napoli Stats and Match Facts: are the Partnepoei still hungover from the Scudetto?
- Napoli have won just two of their first four Serie A games, exactly like last season, when they had one more point in the table (8 vs 7).
- The Italian champions have conceded the first goal in three of their last four Serie A matches (vs Frosinone, Lazio and Genoa).
- Joshua Zirkzee is the youngest player who has contributed to at least two goals (one goal, one assist) in Serie A this season.
- The visitors are unbeaten in the last six games against the Felsinei, having won five in a row.
Bologna vs Napoli Bet Builder Tips, ‘get three points’: a message to you, Rudi
Both teams to score – Yes
Napoli won 2-1 in Braga on Wednesday, but the game could have easily ended 5-4 for the Partenopei. It’s not a good sign for a team that last year conceded very little.
The Azzurri created many chances, especially in the first half (when they hit the woodwork twice), but as the game went on, they never looked fully in control. In the end, they needed an own goal to achieve their first victory in the last three matches.
Rudi Garcia is asking his players to play more directly and cut down the long spells of possession in midfield that Napoli enjoyed last season under Luciano Spalletti. But this approach has led, so far, to a much more confused build-up, leaving Napoli’s backline too often exposed to counter-attacks.
Stanislav Lobotka is struggling as he’s having fewer opportunities to dictate the play and needs to cover more ground defensively.
The Italian champions have kept only one clean sheet in eight of their last nine games in all competitions. The absence of Kim Min-jae (sold to Bayern Munich in the summer) continues to be noticeable. When would we see the new centre-back, Natan, from the start?
Both teams to score – Yes
This summer, Thiago Motta was one of the managers linked to Napoli’s job before president Aurelio De Laurentis decided, surprisingly, to opt for Rudi Garcia.
Under the former Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, Bologna has developed a habit of making life hard for top teams.
Last season at home, the Rossolbù gained 30 points (two more than the previous campaign), conceded only 14 goals (best domestic defence with Inter Milan) and got results against Italy’s biggest clubs. In fact, they beat Fiorentina and Inter and drew against Lazio, Milan, Juventus, Roma and Napoli (2-2).
The Felsinei won’t be intimidated by Napoli, and although they’ve only won two of their last eight games in Serie A, they’ll create some trouble for the visitors’ shaky back four.
In their last game against Hellas Verona, which they drew 0-0, they missed a few chances in the second half due to a lack of composure from Dan Ndoye and Joshua Zirkzee in front of goal, but the feeling is that they rarely chose the defensive approach.
Half With Most Goals: Second Half
Bologna has only scored three goals so far, and perhaps on Sunday, Motta might give a chance from the first minute to last year’s top scorer, Riccardo Orsolini (11 goals), who could exploit Napoli’s high line.
However, Bologna’s attacking numbers look positive: they’re third for ball possession in Serie A, eight for shots taken (Napoli are first, with 78), and they’ve also hit the woodwork four times.
The visitors will be without Amir Rahmani, who picked up a muscular injury in Portugal on Wednesday, and Rudi Garcia might decide to give an opportunity to Giacomo Raspadori or Giovanni Simeone.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, still with no goals nor assists this season, is showing signs of improvement, but he might well start from the bench given that Napoli will play Udinese on Wednesday night.
Both teams have scored most of their Serie A goals so far in the second half: the hosts have netted two (both against Cagliari), and Napoli four.
The visitors are unbeaten in the last six games against the Felsinei, having won five in a row. In 2023, only Salernitana have drawn more games (12) than Bologna, as Thiago Motta’s side have collected ten draws, ten wins and seven defeats.
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