Year: 2023

In this mini-pod, Joe Fischetti previews Napoli’s match at the Dall’ara on Sunday against Bologna, including:A quick summary of Bologna’s first four matches of the season and their ability to play to their opponent’s levelPredicted starting XI’s;Three keys to the match;Summary of how Bologna have overhauled their entire squad in just two seasons; andMatch prediction.

Napoli visit the Stadio Dall'ara for their third consecutive away match in only eight days, while Bologna's difficult schedule continues after opening the season with matches against Milan and Juventus.Bologna FCBologna started the round sitting 11th in the table with a record of 1 win, 2 draws and 1 defeat. I Rossoblù have a tendency to play to the level of their opponent's level, keeping it close against Milan and Juventus, but also failing to beat Hellas Verona.Thiago Motta continues to impress at the helm of the club from Emilia-Romagna, despite a massive turnover of players over the past two…

Braga host a Champions League match for the first time in over a decade, while reigning Serie A champions Napoli look to get back on track after dropping points in consecutive matches on either side of the international break.SC BragaBraga host a Champions League match for the first time in over a decade.  Os Arcebispos reached the Group Stage via the qualification route after a third-place finish in the 2022/23 Liga Portugal campaign, nine points behind league winners Benfica and seven points behind runners-up Porto. Nevertheless, with 78 points and over 100 goals scored in all competitions, the campaign was…

With seven points through four rounds, Rudi Garcia’s Napoli is off to the club’s worst start since the 2015/16 campaign. Forza Napoli Press explores three takeaways from the 2-2 draw against Genoa.Unim-press-ive Unlike the first half against Lazio, Napoli’s press lacked aggression and cohesion. With Napoli’s front six seemingly not on the same page, Genoa consistently played out of the back and into the midfield, where yet again there was plenty of space to exploit. In fact, Genoa’s press in the first half was far more effective. The Azzurri often looked panicked at the back, launching the ball forward to…

Rudi Garcia spoke to the media after Napoli’s 2-2 draw against Genoa on Saturday. Forza Napoli Press provides a complete transcript of the press conference in English. Napoli were really poor, to be honest, especially in the first half. Were the two goals from the set piece a wake-up call to worry about? Garcia:  No, there’s no need to worry. We know that, for all teams, playing a league game before the Champions League is always complicated. Look at Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich this weekend. But I warned that we needed to be 100% focused on the league, but obviously we were…

On Friday, Rudi Garcia spoke to the media ahead of Napoli’s match on Saturday against Genoa. Forza Napoli Press provides a complete transcript of the press conference in English. RAI - a few weeks ago you said that in close matches you would give some space to all the players in the squad. Could this happen as soon as tomorrow considering the Champions League and the tour de force, as you recall?Garcia:  I will give space to those who deserve it and those who are ready, but most of all, yes, the team that starts tomorrow will not be the same…

In the first episode of the week, Joe Fischetti joins Fabrizio and Matt on La Lanterna Podcast to preview Napoli’s first match after the international break, including:A little bit about La Lanterna (~4:51)Did Genoa need to take one step back to Serie B in order to take two steps forward? (~7:22)Alberto Gilardino’s rise to coaching the first team in Serie A (~15:46)Genoa and Napoli’s respective results through the first three rounds of the 2023/24 campaign (~20:36)Players returning from international duty and how that may make this a close match (~22:27)Napoli’s fans expectation of the new coach and of the new…

Both Genoa and Napoli will be eager to restart the campaign after both clubs had forgettable results immediately prior to the September international break.Genoa CFCGenoa opened the season with a 4-1 defeat to Fiorentina, a surprising 1-0 victory over Lazio and a heart-breaking 1-0 defeat to Torino. Nemanja Radonjić scored in the forth minute of stoppage time to hand Genoa their second defeat of the season.Nevertheless, Genoa will be content with their start to the 2023/24 campaign after earning promotion from Serie B last season. I Griffoni's performances improved after Alberto Gilardino switched form the 3-5-2 formation used against Fiorentina…

On Tuesday, FIFA announced the 12 nominees for The Best FIFA Men's Player Award, which included two Napoli players: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen. "The shortlist for The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2023 has been revealed and fans can now vote for their standout candidate for the illustrious prize. The 12 contenders have been nominated based on their achievements from 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023, with each of the nominees recognised for their sustained excellence over that period." FIFA shone a spotlight on each of the nominees. "Wing wizard Kvaratskhelia took Serie A by storm in his debut…