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Napoli will square off against Fiorentina at the Al-Awwal Park in the semi-finals of the 2023 Supercoppa Italiana on Thursday.
This year the format for the annual competition has been changed and alongside the reigning Serie A and Coppa Italia champions, the runners-up from the two competitions have also been invited to form a four-team tournament.
Napoli, the 2022-23 Serie A champions have been drawn alongside 2022-23 Coppa Italia runners-up Fiorentina. Inter Milan, the Coppa Italia winners, will meet Lazio, who finished second in the Serie A standings last season.
Napoli returned to winning ways after four games on Saturday, recording a 2-1 comeback win over Salernitana in the Serie A. Matteo Politano equalized in the added time of the first half from the penalty spot and Amir Rrahmani scored the match-winner in the sixth minute of added time in the second half.
Fiorentina were held to a 2-2 draw by Udinese in the Serie A on Sunday, with Lucas Beltrán and M'Bala Nzola scoring in the second half, helping them level the scores twice.
Napoli vs Fiorentina Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have crossed paths 171 times across all competitions thus far and will meet for the first time in the Supercoppa Italiana. They have contested these games closely, with the 2022-23 Serie A champions having a narrow 61-60 lead in wins and 50 games ending in draws.
- The two teams met in the Serie A earlier this season in October, with I Viola recording a 3-1 win. It was the Florence-based team's second win in three away games against their Naples-based rivals.
- Gli Azzurri have failed to score in six of their last nine games across all competitions. They have just one win in their last five meetings against Fiorentina, suffering three defeats. Interestingly, all three defeats have come at home turf.
Napoli vs Fiorentina Prediction
I Partenopei had concluded 2023 on a poor note, going winless in their last three games. After losing their first match of 2024, they returned to winning ways last week.
Injuries are piling up for head coach Walter Mazzarri as Piotr Zielinski dropped out of the squad before their league meeting against Salernitana with an injury. Jens Cajuste, who started in his place, was subbed off with a thigh injury and Diego Demme is also a doubt for the upcoming game.
Victor Osimhen and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa are on international duty, so Mazzari has limited options to experiment with the starting XI. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will the a key player for them here.
I Gigliati head into the match in relatively better form than the reigning Serie A champions and have lost just one of their last 11 games across all competitions. They have kept clean sheets in four of their last six games and have failed to score only once in that period.
Nicolás González continues to be sidelined but has traveled with the squad to Riyadh alongside Arthur. Dodo trained with the team after a lengthy injury spell and faces a late fitness test.
They have been the better side in recent meetings against Napoli, recording three wins in five games and outscoring them 11-6 in that period. With that in mind, Fiorentina should be able to eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Napoli 1-2 Fiorentina
Napoli vs Fiorentina Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Fiorentina to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Lucas Beltrán to score or assist any time - Yes
