Napoli is hosting Cagliari in their match for the 38th round of the Serie A, at their Diego Maradona stadium in Naples.
Facts
- First match: Cagliari - Napoli 0-4.
- Eight of Napoli’s last nine games at home saw 2-3 goals scored, while six of their last eight ended with BTTS.
- Nine of Cagliari’s last 12 matches had 2-3 goals scored.
- Seven of Napoli’s last 12 league games had 2-3 goals scored.
- Six of Cagliari’s last nine away games saw under 2.5 goals.
Betting Tip Napoli - Cagliari
Napoli players are expected to storm off the gates in this one, aware that a win will crown them champions for the second time in three years. Fortunately for them, they will be facing a team that has zero motivation and no implications from this game, having secured their safety.
We expect the home side to win comfortably, and that’s why we are picking Napoli to win and the -2 Asian Handicap.
- Betting Tip: Napoli to win -2 Asian Handicap
- Odds: 2.10 (at the time of writing)
- Stake: 4
Napoli
The previous round brought a second straight game with a draw for Napoli, but, thanks to Inter playing 2-2 with Lazio in Milan, the Partenopei remain top of the league, with one game to go before the end of the season.
Antonio Conte’s players had the upper hand and the initiative against Parma but were unlucky enough to see the ball hit the woodwork thrice, once in the first half and twice in the second.
They were awarded a penalty in the last minute of stoppage time, but the VAR overruled it, identifying a Napoli foul at the start of the play. The end of the game at Ennio Tardini was a very, very intense affair, as manager Antonio Conte was sent off, following an argument with Parma manager Chivu.
The Partenopei desperately need a win against Cagliari (who have nothing to play for) in order to win their second Scudetto in three years. In case of a tie between them and Inter (if they lose and Inter draw at Como), there will be a tiebreaker fixture next Monday on neutral ground to decide the champion.
Cagliari
Exceptional performance in what very likely was Cagliari’s most significant game of the season. They came away from it with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Venezia and clinched another season in the top flight. Mina (11’) and Piccoli (41’) scored in the first half, while Deiola (71’) added the cherry on top in the second, and the team had chances to score even more goals.
Manager Davide Nicola was obviously very satisfied with the result, though he did note that he would have preferred his team to have secured survival earlier in the season. He blamed the team’s inability to score goals away from home.
Cagliari’s roster has the requisite quality for them not to be a team that is in a relegation battle until the very end, and they will try to build on that for next season. They will approach this game without any stress, but that does not necessarily mean they will simply fold and let Napoli take over.
