Napoli vs Frosinone

Napoli and Frosinone are set to trade tackles in a high-stakes Serie A showdown at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Napoli’s wasteful Scudetto-defending campaign looked done after a four-game winless run (D2, L2) demoted them outside the European spots in Serie A and resulted in Champions League elimination. However, a come-from-behind 4-2 win at Monza last weekend brought back hope as Francesco Calzona’s side leapfrogged Lazio into seventh ahead of this round, reducing the gap on sixth-placed Atalanta to only two points. Despite their underwhelming campaign, the reigning Serie A champions are odds-on to take three points here, not least because of their imperious H2H record against Frosinone (W8, D2, L1). That single loss came in December’s Coppa Italia action as the Canaries thumped Napoli 4-0 at this venue to avenge a 3-1 defeat in the reverse fixture.

Frosinone’s shock Coppa Italia success on this ground suggests the visitors could stop Napoli from claiming back-to-back league wins for only the fourth time this season! However, Eusebio Di Francesco’s men head into proceedings deeply embroiled in a relegation scrap despite a spirited 0-0 draw at fourth-placed Bologna last weekend. That result, albeit positive, condemned the Canaries to a tenth consecutive Serie A match without a win (D4, L6), leaving them a point off the safe zone. Picking up points on the road has proved elusive for Frosinone this season, as they remain the only Serie A side yet to win an away league game (D4, L11). Moreover, only dead-last Salernitana (36) lament a worse defensive record on hostile turf than Frosinone’s 35.