On Wednesday, Napoli host Ajax in the UEFA Champions League – a week after the Italian side hammered the Dutch giants 6-1 in Amsterdam. Will the reverse fixture dish up more drama?
Napoli boast a 100% record in the Champions League this season, having seen off Liverpool (4-1), Rangers (3-0) and Ajax (6-1). Not only have the Italians scored 13 goals in three games (4.33 goals per game), but they have also conceded just twice (0.66 goals against per game).
When you look at the bigger picture, Napoli have yet to taste defeat this season. Having won seven and drawn two of their Serie A games, they find themselves atop their domestic table. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has bagged six goals and six assists in 12 games across all competitions, while Piotr Zielinski has contributed four goals and five assists.
As for Ajax, they kicked off their UCL campaign with dominant victory over Rangers (4-0) but have since suffered back-to-back defeats to Liverpool (2-1) and Napoli (6-1). Napoli managed to rack up 26 shots – 13 of which were on target – at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Meanwhile, Ajax registered just two attempts on target.
It is worth noting that all of Ajax’s previous five away Champions League games have produced over 2.5 goals, meaning we should see plenty of action on Wednesday. Still, the Dutch giants recovered with a comfortable 4-2 win against FC Volendam last weekend. As a result, they sit one point behind Eredivisie leaders AZ Alkmaar.
Head-to-Head: Last week’s clash was the first competitive meeting between Napoli and Ajax, with the Italian side completely dominating the Dutch.
Team News:
Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen (thigh) is an injury doubt for Napoli, although Spalletti has a full-strength squad elsewhere.
On the flip side, Ajax defender Ahmetcan Kaplan (knee) will miss Wednesday’s clash due to injury. Dusan Tadic is suspended after receiving a red card in the previous game.
PREDICTION: NAPOLI TO WIN AND OVER 2.5 MATCH GOALS.
