Sunday, January 23, 2011

| by

0

23-01-2011 15:00 Bari - Napoli

If It Could All End Now...

Just three league wins all season. Just one Serie A victory since late September. 30 goals conceded in 20 matches and just 13 scored.

These are just some of the appalling statistics that Bari have to endure as they remain stuck to the foot of the table in Serie A. Having managed to garner just 14 points from 20 matches, the Galletti look set to finish first in the race to drop down the yawning trapdoor into the Italian second division.

Bari's misery was increased on Thursday night as Giampiero Ventura's side were battered 3-0 by Milan in the Coppa Italia Round of 16. It followed a narrow 2-1 defeat to Italian giants Juventus in Turin, and having not won a competitive game at the San Nicola since December 1, it promises to be a tough 90 minutes against Napoli.

Breathing Down Milan's Neck

Napoli's goalless draw with Fiorentina last weekend could have pushed them further behind league leaders Milan in the table but with the Rossoneri also failing to win, Walter Mazzarri's side remain second with 37 points from 20 matches, just four points off the pace.

In midweek, though, the Partenopei returned to winning ways as they got the better of Bologna in their Coppa Italia tie, winning 2-1 to qualify for the quarter-finals. It was their third successive competitive fixture without a loss, meaning that they have suffered defeat just once in their last nine matches in all competitions.

The Azzurri will travel to Bari this weekend with the confidence of returning to Naples with maximum points. Having won five league encounters out of ten on the road in 2010-11, Napoli will aspire to win and not only maintain their stance to qualify for next season's Champions League but also sustain lofty hopes of a Scudetto triumph.

TEAM NEWS

Bari

Ghezzal, Salvatore Masiello, Barreto, D'Alessandro and Rivas are out injured. Donati is suspended. Kutuzov and Rudolf will be the two strikers upfront in a 4-4-2 formation.

Napoli

Grava and Vitale are unavailable because of injuries. Cavani is expected to be lone striker upfront in 3-4-2-1 system with Hamsik and Lavezzi deployed behind him.

Prediction
A win for Napoli seems to be the most logical outcome. However, playing at home will give Bari some confidence and they could well hurt the Azzurri if they are slack at the back.

Bari 1-2 Napoli