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SouthStandUpperTier

Napoli (A) Thurs 9th Dec 5:45pm - Pre-match Thread

By SouthStandUpperTier, in Leicester City Forum

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FoxinNotts

FoxinNotts

Posted
Posted
27 minutes ago, davieG said:

City squad

Goalkeepers: Schmeichel, Ward, Stolarczyk

Defenders: Castagne, Thomas, Bertrand, Evans, Soyuncu, Nelson

Midfielders: Choudhury, Ndidi, Soumare, Dewsbury-Hall, Tielemans, Ewing

Attacking midfielders/wingers: Maddison, Albrighton, Barnes, McAteer

Strikers: Vardy, Daka

No Jakupovic?

  • Haha 1
moore_94

moore_94

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Rennes are a class side on their day, entirely possible.

Rennes are already through as well

 

Spurs need to hope Vitesse don’t win their game tonight

  • Like 1
turlo

turlo

Posted
Posted
22 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Apparently so according to their press. Italy has a low opinion of the Europa League and it looks like a lot of Napoli fans choose to go the home game on Saturday (sell out )

that must be the case as i've watched the last few of their EL games and their stadium was empty

coolcol

coolcol

Posted
Posted

I have heard figures bandied about of a 10,000 crowd for tonight !

 

Hopefully that can really suit us.....Nahhhh, who am I trying to kid. 

FoxesWalk

FoxesWalk

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Nannypig7 said:

No Osimhen, Koulibaly and Insigne 

54E83382-7198-4583-AE7D-219299F0F30F.png

 Certainly looks weaker than last time we played them. I’m still not confident though. Maybe if they enforce the 5a side rule of no balls above head height… 

  • Haha 3
davieG

davieG

Posted
Posted

OS - https://www.lcfc.com/news/2407162/extra-games-are-taking-their-toll--the-view-on-napoli

 

“They have got a lot of players missing,” Capretta told LCFC Radio’s Matchday Live in the lead up to the encounter. “The likes of Insigne, Osimhen up front, Fabio Ruiz and [André-Frank Zambo] Anguissa in the middle, [Kalidou] Koulibaly at the back, a lot of vital players, it makes all the difference.

“Osimhen had a lot of injuries last season as well. He had found a bit of consistency and then the injury picked up against Inter is something that could be a game changer for Napoli in terms of where they end up in the league and if they progress in the Europa League.

“They’ve got a great replacement in Dries Mertens, a player who has consistently performed at the top level. In the middle, they do have options, [Piotr] Zieliński is a great midfielder, but in terms of how unique he is, Anguissa is a big miss for Napoli. It all adds up because you’re without four or five starting players.”

Those injuries have, according to Capretta, contributed to the Italian outfit's recent struggles, both domestically and in Europe, as well as the difficulties associated with playing Serie A fixtures so soon after their Europa League exploits.

They were so consistent in the first few months of the season. You can have a dip in form, it’s just a matter of how you handle it.

Vieri Capretta Italian Football Expert

Since the start of November, Gli Azzurri, who are seen as serious challengers for the Scudetto, have won just once in the league, with a convincing success over Lazio tempered by defeats to Inter Milan and Atalanta and draws against Hellas Verona and Sassuolo.

A loss to Spartak Moscow in their previous European clash was another blow to their chances of European qualification, meanwhile.

The journalist explained: “It’s been quite a visible dip in form after the international break when they had their first defeat of the season at Inter. They are the Italian champions, they were at home, but then Napoli lost at Atalanta at the weekend.

“Again, it’s something that can happen, but if you are really fighting to win Serie A, it’s those vital games that make difference between being first and third - where Napoli are currently. In-between they also got a big win against Lazio at home, 4-0. But they also lost in the Europa League.

Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti has rotated the team in recent weeks.

“They were so consistent in the first few months of the season. You can have a dip in form, it’s just a matter of how you handle it. It's about rotating the squad that isn’t to say the not so big names Napoli have aren’t good players, but they don’t have the same confidence as a group as the starting XI.

“Playing on a Thursday is something that Italian coaches think about a lot in terms of what you then do at the weekend and how you prepare for games on a tactical basis with a bit less time.

“You can see that with the other teams in European competitions, Roma and Lazio. They haven’t been as consistent and as good as you’d expect, looking at some of the players they’ve got. They were hoping to get a win in the last fixture and end it there, but that didn’t happen.”

While the group winner will automatically qualify for the last 16, in a change to the Europa League format, second place will face a play-off game against a team finishing third in a Champions League group, for a spot in the knockout stages.

Napoli have been one of the most consistent Italian clubs in Europe in the last decade or so.

Vieri Capretta Italian Football Expert

Third in the group, Napoli’s current position, will enter the newly-formed Europa Conference League, though they will still have eyes on top spot, a possible outcome should they triumph over Leicester.

“Napoli have been one of the most consistent Italian clubs in Europe in the last decade or so,” Capretta added. “One of the reasons is that they’ve always done their best in the Europa League as well as having some good spells in the Champions League.

“I think they’ll want to progress, of course, and if they don’t, it could be a blow in terms of what it does to confidence, but they’ll want to still go to the Conference League because it’s another opportunity to play European football. We know how important that is for the image of the club.

“At the same time, they haven’t won the league in over 30 years, and they’ve got a pretty good chance this season in terms of the squad. Having to play those extra games in Europe can take something away from results in the league.”

  • Like 1
sm1

sm1

Posted
Posted
28 minutes ago, Nannypig7 said:

No Osimhen, Koulibaly and Insigne 

54E83382-7198-4583-AE7D-219299F0F30F.png

Thank God Osimhen is not playing, made mince meat out of our defence in the first game. 

Finnegan

Finnegan

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, sm1 said:

Thank God Osimhen is not playing, made mince meat out of our defence in the first game. 

 

You say that but Mertens has been in decent form since he's come back in. 

The_77

The_77

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, sm1 said:

Thank God Osimhen is not playing, made mince meat out of our defence in the first game. 

Lozano, Mertens, and Politano are still pretty formidable options up front…

moore_94

moore_94

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, turlo said:

are they regular starters when fit?

Fabian and Anguissa usually start

 

Lobotka has been playing in place of Anguissa

 

Demme will partner Zielinski who will probably drop into Fabians tole, and Elmas at 10

 

5 starters missing for them

  • Thanks 1
AjcW

AjcW

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

You say that but Mertens has been in decent form since he's come back in. 

If we let Mertens score a header we need liquidating lol 

Finnegan

Finnegan

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, AjcW said:

If we let Mertens score a header we need liquidating lol 

 

We just lost a match to a 3ft 4 attacking midfielder getting a free headed in the box. 

  • Haha 2
HighPeakFox

HighPeakFox

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Going to get humiliated, drop out of the competition and have to play in that piece of shit conference league. 

 

 

BR in Europe is a complete stain on the game of football.

 

The games we've lost in this group can only be put down as a pathetic failure. 

 

 

Leicester win

 

 

 

I believe that the 'games lost in this group' column is 1.

 

But I think you were going for comedic effect so I'll happily go along :)

  • Haha 1
Long Eaton Fox

Long Eaton Fox

Posted
Posted

Not sure who's sanctioned the spurs match being called off but it's not UEFA. If it is called off then vitesse will be furious as spurs will know exactly what they need to do in the replayed game v rennes. Totally unfair and is the exact reason why the last group games are played at the same time. 

 

What is the number of illnesses that qualifies a game to be called off? Think I read somewhere that if a team has 13 fit players, including a goalie, then the game must go ahead.

 

8 from 25 leaves spurs with 17 fit players according to my maths. Should go ahead especially as they are home with no travelling required.

 

Basically what I'm hoping for is spurs to be banned for a long time if the game is not played tonight.

  • Like 1
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