Serie A Torino vs Napoli: Gli Azzurri Fight to Keep Their Nerves

Torino vs Napoli

The noise and action brought about by European and international football have come to pass, and football fans now zero in on the meat of football season. The domestic leagues are the main determining factor as to whether a team actually gets to participate in the Champions League and Europa League, so supporters demand nothing but the best out of their players in the league.

This is especially true for the visiting fans of the Serie A: Torino vs Napoli match. Napoli are a club that desires the Serie A crown. They need the three points against Torino if they want to topple the giants that are Juventus from the top. This is especially true now that Cristiano Ronaldo finally found his scoring boots against Sassuolo.

They face considerably weaker opposition in Torino, but their blunder against Sassuolo is a grim reminder that every single club in this league can put up a fight and trip them when they aren’t looking.

Talking Points

Napoli stumbling through their recent games have not instilled the confidence in me that they will easily topple Il Toro at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino. The current Napoli squad have struggled to close out games, and that factoid will make their latest jab at the Serie A title much more difficult.

Their lack of an attacking edge was especially felt during the first half of their 3-2 victory against AC Milan. While Carlo Ancelotti was eventually able to set Napoli straight in the second half and mount an unbelievable comeback, it cannot be denied that their usually-slow starts to get the better of them.

Serie A Torino vs Napoli: Carlo Ancelotti expects his side to step up following draw in Belgrade — Carlo Ancelotti explaining his tactics in a post-match interview

Another case study of Napoli’s struggles in attack is their goalless draw against Red Star Belgrade. Plenty of SBOBET fans who bet on Napoli to win were shocked to see Napoli fail to convert any of their 20 shot attempts into an actual goal. Of course, the result can be credited to Belgrade keeper Milan Borjan playing out his skin, but Napoli’s inability to finish in the final third is unacceptable.

Of course, the visitors still have plenty of talented players to go around. Piotr Zielinski has played terrific football lately that Manchester City, Liverpool and Real Madrid have come knocking. Lorenzo Insigne, Allan, and Jose Callejon should also make life difficult for Walter Mazzarri’s men.

However, it’s not like Torino are a club that Napoli can easily topple. More than anything, it has to be said that Torino have played equally impressive football to start the season. I personally believe that their current position of tenth in the Serie A table does not fully encapsulate the good form I Granata have found themselves in.

The first two games of the season saw Torino as heavy underdogs as they square off against Roma and Inter Milan. However, Torino put up a strong fight against Roma and forced a strong effort from Edin Dzeko in the 89th minute to secure a winner.

Even more impressive was Torino’s second-half comeback to split the points with Inter Milan. Mazzarri made the necessary changes in the half-time break to enforce a more threatening offence and finish the game in a 2-2 draw. Moreover, they also beat the red-hot SPAL 1-0 at home with a Nicolas N’Koulou goal.

Torino’s great start could be mainly attributed to the quality of players found along the spine of their usual 3-5-2 formation. N’Koulou has established himself as a cornerstone of Torino’s defence. Soualiho Meite has been an effective midfield option. Andrea Belotti is a dangerous man up front and will be Torino’s attacking centrepiece for years to come.

If Ancelotti cannot figure out a game plan against this strong XI, I fear that Napoli will be in for another long 90 minutes of football.

History

Napoli will still likely win if we consider the recent form they are currently in. Ancelotti’s last four matches have shown that trying to integrate his own tactics without rubbing off everything Maurizio Sarri has implemented. However, their current style of football is far from comfortable. It would only take a matter of time before a side like Torino could fully figure them out and actually gun for a draw.

Fortunately, previous Torino vs Napoli results hugely favour the Gli Azzurri. Napoli won 11 of the 26 matches they played with Torino, and six of those victories were earned at Il Toro‘s own stomping grounds.

Napoli are prolific in scoring against Torino, netting 23 of their 43 goals away from home.

Betting Tip

	Torino vs Napoli	Torino Asian Handicap +0.50 @ 2.11
	September 23, 18:30 (GMT+8)

Torino vs Napoli odds favour Napoli to pull off a point against Torino, but I believe this game will end in a draw.

Torino have been brilliant during the first games of the season, and I don’t see why they wouldn’t be able to protect their home. They have a strong side that can get goals that will keep them in the match. With the way Ancelotti is still experimenting with the side, I have doubts that Napoli can easily smash through the crowded midfield and slot the ball to the goal.