Napoli vs Cagliari

High-flying Napoli will entertain relegation-threatened Cagliari at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in a seemingly winnable Serie A fixture for the home side.

Napoli have been setting the pace in Serie A since day one, with Luciano Spalletti starting his adventure at the Diego Maradona Stadium with five straight league victories. A flying start may not necessarily be a good omen, considering the ‘Partenopei’ have finished as runners-up in both previous seasons they opened with five consecutive triumphs. However, a brace of 4-0 wins over Udinese and Sampdoria shows Napoli mean business this term. The hosts have been nothing short of outstanding at home this calendar year, going unbeaten in 13 Serie A fixtures at this venue (W10, D3) since a 2-1 loss to Spezia in January. That run looks likely to continue here as they meet a side they’ve lost to just once in their last 22 Serie A H2Hs (W15, D6).

Meanwhile, Cagliari are enduring their worst Serie A start since 2012/13 as they head into proceedings nailed to the drop zone after winning none of their first five league matches (D2, L3). Though they can find some comfort in knowing they avoided relegation that season, a leaky defense that has already conceded 13 goals douses any embers of optimism ahead of this fixture. But the ‘Sardinians’ have held Napoli winless in their last two Serie A H2Hs on the road (W1, D1) and could go unbeaten in three consecutive away league H2Hs for the first time since 2010. Despite Cagliari’s poor form, they’ve been fun to watch this term, with four of their five Serie A matches producing 3+ overall goals, highlighting the potential for another high-scoring affair.