Fiorentina vs Napoli prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2024-05-16 18:45.
[p]Fiorentina have it all to play for at the end of 2023/24, as a rich vein of form has left them with two avenues to qualify for Europe next season. In Serie A, winning three of their last four matches (L1) means that three points on Friday would secure an eighth-placed finish at a minimum, while they’ve also reached the UEFA Europa Conference League final for a second successive campaign, where victory over Olympiacos would grant them direct access to the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League.[/p]
[p]Vincenzo Italiano’s men were also en route for a Supercoppa Italiana final berth earlier in the season, but those aspirations were put to bed by upcoming opponents Napoli in a 3-0 semi-final defeat. La Viola will therefore be out for revenge, as a win will see them register their first H2H league double since 1995/96, after claiming a 3-1 victory in October.[/p]
[p]That’ll be another scar for Napoli, who have suffered a dramatic fall from grace after remarkably securing a first scudetto in 33 years just last season. The sombre mood in Naples was evident when they lost 2-0 against Bologna last time out, which not only extended their winless run to five games (D3, L2), but confirmed that they’ll finish outside the top seven for the first time since 2008/09, albeit they can still qualify for Europe. [/p]
[p]A consolatory eighth spot is still up for grabs, but Napoli trail their hosts in that regard by two points, having played a match more. Whether Francesco Calzona can sort out a leaky defence that’s conceded in 15 straight league encounters could be the deciding factor, as failure to do so on their last two outings this season could see them equal a club record of 17 Serie A games without a clean sheet. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Nicolás González delivered the killer blow with the third goal in the reverse fixture, and he’ll be on the hunt for more here, as his seven goals since have all come at home. Napoli’s equaliser that day was unsurprisingly scored by Victor Osimhen, who registered his fourth goal contribution in his last four H2Hs (G3, A1). [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Fiorentina have avoided defeat in 18 of their last 20 home games (W14, D4), only losing to AC Milan and Inter Milan. [/p]