betting
Napoli
By David, BettingExpert.com | Edited
Trying for Champions
De Laurentis’ ambitious project keeps evolving as he made some new investments aimed at taking the club to its former glory. The structure and organization are of the highest standard and the manager is one who can handle the high profile of the club. So what is missing for them to make it at least to next year’s Champions League?
Coach: Mazzarri
Tactics: 3-4-2-1
Players In: Cavani, C. Lucarelli, Dumitru, Yebda, Sosa, Cribari. Dezi
Players Out: Quagliarella, Rinaudo, Cigarini, Hoffer, De Zerbi, Denis, Bogliacino, Datolo, Contini, Amodio, Pia, Navarro, Zalayeta
Current Probable Formation: De Sanctis, Campagnaro, P. Cannavaro, Aronica, Maggio, Gargano, Pazienza, Dossena, Hamsik, Cavani, Lavezzi
Answers to the questions brought up last year have been sought and the most convincing of these was Cavani. When made aware of the interest by Napoli and the project behind a club that is probably the fastest growing in Serie A the Uruguayan striker could not resist the allure. He did not think twice about asking Palermo president Zamparini to let him go and at the right price the latter did not object to his transfer.
Last season the major obstacle for Napoli was their goal
scoring potential. Theirs was the ninth attack in Serie A as Quagliarella,
Lavezzi and Hamsik could not find continuity under goal. Napoli-born
Quagliarella has not stayed on to try his luck this 
year but instead flew right
towards Juventus where he is hoping to get assisted better and rejuvenate
himself with more goals. Space there may be limited but he saw the move a step
up in his career.
Hamsik had started as a midfielder but his great affinity for goals has pushed Mazzarri into playing him in a more advanced position, very close to the strikers. He can make those venomous runs into the box and this, coupled with his great positioning and finishing abilities, make him a prime suspect when opponents look at which men ought to be marked over the 90 minutes. Last season he managed the highest number of goals in Serie A so far, twelve. Nonetheless, he still is described as an advanced midfielder with defensive duties included in the role Mazzarri has reserved for him.
Just as the eclectic attacking midfielder was not the right answer for Napoli’s goal scoring drought, so has Argentine forward Lavezzi revealed himself in the last three seasons, in which he scored eight, seven and eight goals respectively. The problem in this case is not that Lavezzi is useless in attack. He simply is not the goal scoring type. He is more of an assist man and one who gifts the striking force with speed and pace like few others can. He was not the answer for goals in the past and will not be in the future because he has different characteristics which, as important as they may be, do not prioritize finding the net.
Cavani, on the other hand, despite being dubbed as very much
like Lavezzi, should be the right answer. He has scored 27 goals in two seasons
with Palermo and is expected to mature even more now that he joined an
ambitious club like Napoli. The risk will be for the 
Partenopei to transform
into a team that is overly dependent on the newcomer for goals. Veteran striker
Lucarelli should help ease the burden from Cavani’s young shoulders. ‘El
Principito’ Sosa is also expected to help offer alternatives in attack but he
is coming from some sour experiences in Europe with Bayern Munich. Napoli went
back to Argentina to try and revitalize his career on the big stage so his
reaction on the pitch is yet to be gauged despite the unarguable talent of the
player.
Mazzarri’s favourite attacking trio should nonetheless be Lavezzi – Cavani – Hamsik. In midfield the starters are Gargano and Pazienza in the centre. Italian Pazienza is more concerned with winning back the ball for Napoli whilst Gargano is an all-round midfielder who gives a lot in terms of quantity and quality. A new face, Algerian Yebda, will need time to be able to cover for any of the two. Blasi may be a good alternative if Mazzarri decides to show some faith in the 30-year old who came back from his loan spell at Palermo. His problem is the amount of yellow cards he collects throughout the season – at least one in every two games.
The wingers, expected to take care of defence as well as the team alternates continually from a 3-5-2 to a 5-2-3 throughout the match, will be Dossena on the left and Maggio on the right. As for the central midfielders the problem here is the unavailability of decent replacements.
The backline, on the other hand, looks well set up in terms of numbers with Campagnaro, Cannavaro and Grava the probable starters and Aronica, Santacroce and newcomer Cribari ready to fill in in case of any absence. Campagnaro is perhaps the defender who most of all gives assurances to his manager. When not available the backline may prove a little too shaky to stand the pressure. It will then be up to a few miracles from a very reliable goalkeeper like De Sanctis to keep the boat afloat.
Predicted finishing position: 5th
De Laurentis has gathered a very well prepared squad. Above average when it comes to its midfield and defence and excellent in attack. The goal scoring problems will be solved with the inclusion of Cavani alongside Lavezzi and Hamsik, although this may mean that the Uruguayan’s absence will bring about headaches for Mazzarri’s search for goals. The lack of depth all throughout the other departments in the squad is, however, a problem yet to be addressed. Napoli will do very well this season but their two major weak spots will hamper their chances of a Champions League place as they try to muscle away Juventus in what will be a long and hard-fought battle with the hated Bianconeri.
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