Roma continue their chase for top 4 as they host the 2nd placed Napoli in a clash between two of the best teams in the Serie A
Roma are currently 5th in the Serie A, but could move within 1 point of AC Milan in the table for 4th place if they were to win this game.
Napoli are 2nd in the league and are pretty much not playing for anything. They’re 18 points off the top while being 13 points clear of 5th placed Roma. Napoli are likely going to finish 2nd again this season.
Roma entered the international break on some poor form having lost 3 of their last 4 games including getting bounced out of the Champions League and most recently losing 2-1 to Spal.
Napoli themselves haven’t been playing too well either winning just 2 of their last 5 games although they entered the international break with a 4-2 win against Udinese which could get them going again.
Though Roma haven’t been great overall this season and their recent form is down, their home form has been one thing that was lasted as their strength. Roma have only lost 1 home game in the league this season and across all competitions they haven’t lost at home since November. Roma have won 7 of their last 8 games at home drawing the other so their stadium has been a fortress lately.
Napoli are a decent away side, just like the overall standings, they are the 2nd best away side in Serie A with a 7W 3D 3L away record in the league. Napoli’s away from hasn’t been all that great recently though winning just in 2 of last 8 travels across all competitions (3D 3L).
Roma are yet to lose to a big team in the Serie A this season at home, although they’ve mostly drew their big home games (Inter draw, AC Milan draw, Atalanta draw. Only beat Lazio). Napoli haven’t done too bad on their big away games, they beat Lazio and Atalanta, lost to Inter and Juventus and drew against AC Milan in their big away games in the league this season.
Edin Dzeko is still the man to watch for Roma up front. He’s not had a great season but you can never write him off when it comes to a big game. Dzeko has had some great big game performances in his career and can always come up with the goods for a game like this.
As for Napoli, the man in form this season has been Arkadiusz Milik. Although Insigne and Mertens are also very dangerous, Milik is the top man to watch here as he’s been scoring goals for fun this season already having bagged 15 in the Serie A and 18 overall for the club this season.
The reverse fixture ended with a 1-1 draw in Naples as Napoli scored a 90th minute equaliser courtesy of Dries Mertens to salvage a point against Roma back in October.
Look at recent H2H there is a strange trend that a home side has not won in any of the previous 5 H2H matches with the away side coming out on top 4 times between Roma and Napoli. Napoli won in each of their last 2 travels to Roma against AS Roma and will seek to make it 3 in a row.
Napoli are tipped as slight bookies favourites to win the game despite being the away side at 2.28 while Roma to win is 3.10. Draw is offered at 3.45. Odds based on Unibet.
Team News
AS Roma: Roma are injury riddled coming into this game missing multiple key players. Stephan El Shaarawy, Javier Pastore, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Daniele de Rossi, Alessandro Florenzi are all expected to be out while Kostas Manolas is questionable although many expect him to return into the side.
Napoli: Raul Albiol, Vlad Chiriches, Amadou Diawara are all out with injuries while Piotr Zielinski is suspended. Lorenzo Insigne will be available to return.
Betting Stats
Roma have the highest percentage of covered total goal overs at home in the Serie A this season at 69.2% (9-1-3).
Roma also have the highest percentage of covered total 1st half goal overs at home in the Serie A this season at 53.8% (7-2-4).
Roma average 2 bookings per game at home in the Serie A this season (26 bookings in 13 games).
Stephan El Shaarawy is Roma’s top scorer at home with 6 home league goals, but with him out the next top scorer at home for Roma is Aleksandar Kolarov with 5.
Roma have only covered 38.5% of their Handicaps at home in the league this season (5-8).
Roma have covered 53.8% of their 1st half Handicaps at home in the league this season (7-6).
Napoli have covered 61.5% of their total goal overs away from home in the Serie A this season (8-5).
Napoli have covered 38.5% of their total 1st half goal overs away from home in the Serie A this season (5-2-6).
Napoli average 3.15 bookings per game away from home in the Serie A this season (41 bookings in 13 games).
Arkadiusz Milik is Napoli’s top scorer away from home in the Serie A with 5 away league goals this season. Insigne is 2nd with 4 away league goals for Napoli.
Napoli have covered 46.2% of their total goal overs away from home in the Serie A this season (6-7).
Napoli have covered 38.5% of their total 1st half goal overs away from home in the Serie A this season (5-3-5).
KICK OFF – 31st March 2019 – 2pm UK Time
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