Napoli will aim to improve on last season as they begin their Serie A campaign under a new manager with an away game against Genoa.
Daniele De Rossi was brought in at Genoa midway through last season as Patrick Vieira’s successor, with the club facing a real danger of relegation. The legendary former AS Roma midfielder helped steer the team away from the danger zone and kept them afloat, despite failing to register a win in their final five games of the season.
With a new season on the horizon, De Rossi will be expected to take the team higher up the table. Genoa have not enjoyed the best pre-season campaign, which included a heavy defeat to Bournemouth. Their record against Napoli is also poor, which will concern the manager as they look for a positive start to the season, particularly on home soil.
Napoli, on the other hand, are set to embark on a new journey under a new manager following Antonio Conte’s expected departure after two successful campaigns at the club. Having won the Scudetto in his first campaign, the experienced Italian coach ended his second season with the Supercoppa Italiana and a second-place finish in the league.
Massimiliano Allegri, who once replaced Conte as Juventus manager many years ago, has done so again by succeeding him at Napoli. The former AC Milan manager has a significant task on his hands, particularly after repairing the damage from last season at San Siro, where the Rossoneri looked like title challengers but ultimately finished outside the Champions League places.
Napoli have enjoyed a decent pre-season campaign and must now prepare to begin their title challenge from the first game. Allegri has big boots to fill, and the fans will get an early look at how his ideas take shape with this talented squad.
Genoa have seen several squad changes during the summer, with the likes of Jeff Ekhator and Ruslan Malinovskyi leaving the club. There have been a few arrivals, notably Mario Mitaj on loan from Al-Hilal, while Hamed Traore has also joined but is currently injured.
Genoa are also uncertain over Ethan Meichtry’s availability, while another new signing, Elias Havel, will likely start on the bench. Daniele De Rossi is expected to prefer a back three of Johan Vasquez, Leo Ostigard, and Alessandro Marcandalli.
Mikael Ellertsson and Brooke Norton-Cuffy will operate as the preferred wing-backs, while Djibril Sow and Morten Frendrup will occupy the central midfield roles. Lorenzo Colombo will lead the line for Genoa, with Tommaso Baldanzi and Vitinha providing support behind him.
Probable Line-up (3-4-2-1): Bijlow; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vasquez: Norton-Cuffy, Sow, Frendrup ,Ellertsson; Baldanzi, Vitinha; Colombo
There are defensive concerns for Massimiliano Allegri ahead of the opening game, and he would have liked incoming signing Benoit Badiashile to be available. The Chelsea defender is yet to finalise his move to Naples, meaning the manager may need to find alternative solutions.
Napoli are without key defender Alessandro Buongiorno following knee surgery, and he will be sidelined for a considerable period. To add to their problems, Allegri is also without Sam Beukema and Luca Marianucci. Beukema could still make the bench against Genoa, but he remains doubtful.
Allegri will want to select the strongest possible set-up for the opening game, which could see a few key stars start on the bench. Romelu Lukaku has already left the club.
Kevin De Bruyne and David Neres are expected to feature from the bench, while Rafa Marin and Amir Rrahmani will pair up at the heart of the defence. Scott McTominay and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa will feature in midfield alongside Stanislav Lobotka, while Rasmus Hojlund will lead the line for Napoli against Genoa.
Probable Line-up (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marin, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Hojlund, Santos
There is an argument for Napoli fans to view Hojlund through the lens of pressure and his ability to lead the line over a long season. He performed reasonably well last time out when Romelu Lukaku’s injury forced him to take on greater responsibility, but this season is different.
The pressure is greater, as Napoli are in the market for a new striker amid reported links with Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus. Therefore, Hojlund needs a top-quality performance from the first game, and he will be the player to watch as Napoli open their season away at Genoa.
Daniele De Rossi will want a positive result to begin the season, and he will likely take a draw against league runners-up Napoli. However, there is considerable pressure on the manager to lift the team away from the relegation zone and turn them into mid-table challengers, although they could struggle against the former champions.
Massimiliano Allegri, on the other hand, will want a strong start to life with the Partenopei, and he has the players to put Genoa to the sword. While the trip to Genoa represents a difficult outing, Napoli’s exceptional record against the hosts and the quality within their squad could see them record a narrow victory and begin their campaign with a win.
