Napoli and Sporting are playing their match for the 2nd round of the League Phase of the Champions League at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, home of Napoli.
Facts
- These two faced each other back in 1989, for the UEFA Cup. Both games ended as goalless draws, and Napoli advanced through a penalty shootout.
- Four of Sporting’s last six matches in the Champions League ended with 2-3 goals.
- All of Sporting’s last nine Champions League group stage games saw first-half goals.
Betting Tip: Napoli - Sporting CP
There are two ways to approach this game. The one is to emphasise Napoli’s strong home crowd advantage, alongside their undeniable quality and motivation, and selecting them to win.
The other is to acknowledge that not much separates the two teams in practice, and that Sporting is in fine form, scoring at will. Neither Napoli’s (1,80) nor Sporting’s odds (4,30) are a fair representation of them. Sporting to win or draw is an option, but we lean towards backing over 2.5 goals.
- Recommendation: Over 2.5
- Odds: 1.91 (at the time of writing)
Napoli
Napoli’s tactical approach in the first twenty minutes of the game away at Manchester City was superb in their League Phase opener. During that time, the Italians showed they had their way of limiting City’s creativity and leading the game to a place they felt comfortable in.
However, right back Di Lorenzo’s red card in the 20th minute changed everything, and manager Antonio Conte was forced to replace Kevin De Bruyne with a defender in order to reinforce his defence.
Manchester City took advantage of their numerical superiority, ramped up the pressure, and pinned Napoli inside their own box. The pressure paid off twice, first in the 56th and then in the 65th minute (2-0 final score).
There is a lot of disappointment around the team for the way the game progressed, and everyone is eager to prove they can do better. The city is firmly behind the team for their game against Sporting, and the team has shown that they have the experience and mental capabilities to approach both domestic and European challenges with confidence.
Sporting CP
Sporting took heed of city rivals Benfica’s catastrophic loss to Qarabag (after they took a 2-0 lead), showing a much more disciplined look in their performance against Kairat Almaty at home for the opener.
Despite Hjulmand’s penalty miss in the 21st minute, the team was unfazed and never strayed from their game plan. Trincao gave them the lead in the 44th minute and doubled it in the 65th, essentially sealing the deal.
Two minutes after the second goal, Alisson Santos added a third, while Quenda added a fourth just a minute later. Sporting is showing improvement from one game to the next, and they are playing an appealing, confident brand of attacking football, scoring at will.
