Napoli vs Venezia

Napoli’s new Serie A campaign gets underway this weekend as they welcome newly-promoted Venezia to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

A shocking 1-1 home draw with Hellas Verona on the final weekend of 2020/21 saw Napoli fall one point short of fourth-placed Juventus. After missing out on Champions League football by a merest of margins, Napoli fired Gennaro Gattuso and appointed Luciano Spalletti as a new chief of staff. Tormented by talisman Lorenzo Insigne’s uncertain future, Spalletti will be aiming to get his managerial career in Naples off to a flying start, encouraged by Napoli’s five-match unbeaten streak in their opening Serie A fixtures (W4, D1). A run of nine straight league games without defeat to close last season provides the new boss with a platform to build upon (W6, D3). What’s more, the ‘Partenopei’ have claimed 26 victories in their previous 29 top-flight encounters against newly-promoted sides (L3).

Meanwhile, Venezia overcame Cittadella in the play-off final 2-1 on aggregate (1-0 A, 1-1 H) to earn Serie A promotion for the first time in 19 years. The last time they played in Serie A back in 2001/02, Venezia’s top-flight campaign started with a loss. They have, in fact, claimed just one victory in 12 opening matches to a Serie A season (D4, L7), courtesy of a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in 1940. Venezia parted company with Serie A on a run of 12 league games without a triumph – no other current top-flight team endures a longer wait for victory. ‘I Lagunari’ now face formidable opposition in the shape of a Napoli side they lament an unfavorable overall top-flight H2H record against (GP12 – W2, D6, L4). Worryingly, Venezia completed last season without a single clean sheet from seven away league games, play-offs excluded.