Napoli can secure the Champions League against Bologna

Napoli needs three points to secure a mathematical qualification for the Champions League with two rounds remaining in the league. Bologna, Pisa, and Udinese are not opponents who should worry the Azzurri much, especially since they will face the teams from Emilia and Friuli at the “Maradona” stadium, while Pisa is already relegated to Serie B. However, Antonio Conte and his players want to wrap up the story of Champions League qualification tonight, and next weekend to lock in second place following last year’s title. Considering that after Juventus’ dominance in the 2010s no Scudetto winner has managed to repeat the success, and that Napoli suffered from a high number of injuries, finishing second in Serie A is nothing to underestimate.

Tonight’s qualification for the Champions League would also anticipate a summit between coach Antonio Conte and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis. Two related issues are on the table. The first concerns Conte’s future on Napoli’s bench, and the second concerns the strategy to be applied in the next transfer window. De Laurentiis would like Conte to stay, but only under the condition that he implements the club’s plans to rejuvenate the squad and reduce costs, meaning the overall wage bill. In previous similar situations at Juventus and Inter, the Italian coach did not accept new strategies that didn’t involve signing big-name players. His famous quote from 2014, when he left Juve, remains: “You don’t go, with ten euros in your pocket, to a restaurant where a meal costs 100 euros.” Conte also left Inter when he realized that the Chinese Zhang family no longer had the funds to finance the Inter project. In Naples, absolute uncertainty surrounds Conte’s future. The only certainty is that the Napoli coach will have the final say. The fact that president De Laurentiis has kept Maurizio Sarri on standby suggests that there is a real chance Conte and Napoli could part ways after two years. It is also noteworthy that Vincenzo Italiano will have a very important meeting with Bologna’s management. The head coach of the “rossoblù” wants guarantees that next season he will have a squad capable of returning to European competition.

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Among Bologna fans, there is worry that their club could return to stagnation after the successes under Thiago Motta and Italiano. Club owner Joe Saputo has been unclear in recent public statements, leaving room for interpretation—ranging from optimistic expectations of a new three-year cycle with reinforcements to pessimistic predictions of Italiano’s departure and a thin transfer window. Recall that Italiano was twice a candidate for the Napoli bench, and his name could re-emerge, especially if Lazio president Claudio Lotito creates obstacles regarding Sarri’s departure. For Napoli, captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo will start after a long absence of 100 days due to injury. Rahmani will also return to the starting lineup, allowing Conte to field the defensive trio Di Lorenzo–Rahmani–Bonjorno with which he won the Scudetto. Conte’s decision to bench Anguissa for the third consecutive time is very telling, reinforcing the idea that the former Fulham player will leave Napoli after five years and two Scudetto titles.

Lukaku not going to play for Napoli again

Romelu Lukaku will also be absent. Despite returning to Castel Volturno, Conte did not call the Belgian for the match against Bologna, meaning he will watch from the stands. Even Hojlund’s scoring drought—six Serie A games without a goal—did not change Conte’s firm decision that Lukaku’s Napoli chapter is over, at least while he is in charge. Bologna traveled without Cambiaso, Vitić, and Casale. Italiano’s goal is to secure eighth place in Serie A, so he needs points against Napoli. This is not a trivial objective, as eighth place not only guarantees more money from TV rights and a higher Serie A bonus but also spares the club from early-season preparations and Coppa Italia matches in August. Bologna has had a very positive record against Napoli in the last three years, losing only one of the last six Serie A matches, with two wins and three draws. An interesting fact: Napoli and Bologna last drew at the “Maradona” stadium (formerly “San Paolo”) on January 16, 2012. Since then: nine Napoli wins and three Bologna wins. It is worth noting that Italiano has never beaten Conte’s team when playing away in Serie A. His only victory came in the first half of the season at Dal’Ara.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 36

Friday

Torino - Sassuolo 2-1 (0-0)

/Simeone 66, Pedersen 70 - Thorstvedt 51/

Saturday

Cagliari - Udinese 0-2 (0-0)

/Buksa 56, Gueye 90+6/

Lazio - Inter 0-3 (0-2)

/Lautaro 6, Sucic 39, Mkhitaryan 76/

Lecce - Juventus 0-1 (0-1)

/Vlahovic 1/

Sunday

Verona - Como 0-1 (0-0)

/Douvikas 71/

Cremonese - Pisa 3-0 (1-0)

/Vardy 31, Bonazzoli 51, Okereke 86/

Fiorentina - Genoa 0-0

Parma - Roma 2-3 (0-1)

/Strefezza 47, Keita 87 - Mallen 22, 90+11 pen, Rensch 90+4/

Milan - Atalanta 2-3 (0-2)

/Pavlovic 88, Nkunku 90+3 pen - Ederson 7, Zappacosta 29, Raspadori 51/

Monday

21.45: (1.55) Napoli (4.00) Bologna (6.50)

***odds are subject to change***