SSC Napoli vs Chelsea
FreeWant to obtain team news from around the world? Maybe just to support the site for all the hard work that goes into it? Click here for membership details. Need outright wins instead of value picks? Click here for strike rate and other consultancy details.
We’re always looking for new recruits to help us so please click here if you want to join the team although please don’t bother if you’re lazy!
Today’s secondary featured game is the UEFA Champions League game in Italy between Napoli and Chelsea.
San Paolo is regarded as one of the most difficult stadiums in Italy to play at as an away side and that’s in no small part down to Napoli’s fanatic fans. Napoli are a very good side, of course, and they’ve got a big history too. However, it’s their fans that are the twelfth man here and any side that has faced Napoli in Naples will tell you that.
Napoli have some wonderful players, of course. I had my reservations over their ability in Europe primarily because they’re Italian and Italian sides are generally hot-blooded and a bit slow when it comes to dealing with pace. Ironically, Napoli possess both of those characteristics but still play entertaining attacking football and they do it well too. Edinson Cavani is a fantastic striker and despite a hit-and-miss season thus far, you know that the big Uruguayan always shows up in the big games. Ezequiel Lavezzi, his pacey accomplice, is always ready to wreak havoc and Slovakian playmaker Marek Hamsik can unlock even the most stubborn of defences. Gokhan Inler is a really solid battleaxe in the middle of the park and Goran Pandev lends a lot of experience to Napoli’s attack so this side are not short on attacking options. Defensively speaking, Napoli aren’t the best but they’re at home and they tend to impress here so I’ll give them the nod today.
Helpfully, they’re facing Chelsea, which really helped make up my mind. Chelsea have seldom looked so vulnerable and incompetent as they do right now. They’re truly stuck in a transitional period (as happens to all clubs at some point) and the consequences of this are that they lack confidence, they lack any kind of convincing attacking methods, and they look nervous at the back. Chelsea don’t make enough chances, don’t take the chances that they do create, and look susceptible when under pressure. The atmosphere in San Paolo will be hostile and I don’t think Chelsea will like this at all. Petr Cech has seldom looked so weak and isolated as he does right now. Cole is out at left-back – there is no natural replacement for him. Terry is a big doubt and if he doens’t play then there’s simply no excuse for Napoli not scoring here. We all know how good Chelsea’s attackers can be but will they deliver? It’s hard to see it because they’ve not shown it recently. Daniel Sturridge is in good form and is getting better with each passing game. Didier Drogba’s return is a massive boost for Chelsea in a game like this because he’s a superb striker. Mata is a classy attacker and can make things happen and the return of Essien to the middle of the park can only be a good thing as he’s easily one of the best central midfielders in the world. However, Chelsea are not playing with much cohesion right now and thus I struggle to see them doing well here.
If they were at their best, I’d give Chelsea a chance of getting a result here. However, Chelsea aren’t. In fact, they’re pretty damn far away from it, in my view. I think this is a nightmare game for the Londoners and if the hosts feel up for it then a home win should be on the cards. At 7/5, I feel the home win is definitely worth a punt today.
Verdict: SSC Napoli to win at 7/5.
Tuesday’s Picks
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts to prevent endless questions about my thoughts on certain games!
UEFA Champions League:
CSKA Moscow vs Real Madrid (8) 0-2
SSC Napoli vs Chelsea (6) 1-0
Copa Libertadores:
Penarol vs Atletico Nacional de Medellin (6) 2-1
Bolivar La Paz vs Union Espanola (4) 1-1
Arsenal de Sarandi vs Zamora (6) 1-0
Cruz Azul vs Deportivo Tachira (7) 2-1
English Championship:
Barnsley vs Birmingham City (5)
Millwall vs Middlesbrough (5)
Blackpool vs West Ham United (6) over 2.5 goals
Finnish Liiga Cup:
MyPa Anjalankoski vs FC Honka Espoo (6) 0-1
FC Lahti vs HJK Helsinki (6) over 2.5 goals
Italian Serie A:
Bologna vs Fiorentina (6) 1-0
Scottish Premier League:
Dundee United vs Kilmarnock (6) 2-1
Enjoy your free betting tips!