Napoli vs Udinese: High-Flying Serie A Leaders Face Familiar Prey | OneFootball

Antonio Conte has made good on his promise to re-establish an out-of-sorts Napoli side as a genuine Serie A title contender this season. Heading into Sunday’s home clash against mid-table Udinese, the three-time Scudetto winners sit at the top of the table, albeit narrowly ahead of reigning holders Inter.

Napoli spurned a glorious chance to extend their lead at the summit in their last Serie A fixture, conceding a stoppage-time equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Roma. A gut-wrenching result in the latest edition of the famous Derby del Sole knocked the Partenopei down from a seven-game winning league streak.

However, the impending home return should settle Conte’s nerves. Except for a 1-0 loss to Lazio in early December, his charges have won four of their last five Serie A outings at Stadio Diego Maradona, including three without conceding. In fact, victories ‘to nil’ have been a hallmark of Conte’s tenure on the south coast.

Force to Be Reckoned with

Defenses often win titles, and Napoli boast one hell of a backline. Indeed, the hosts’ defensive resilience has been a cornerstone of their campaign, conceding the fewest goals in the league and providing a solid foundation for their title challenge.

Conte has always carried a reputation as a conservative manager. But he has outdone himself in Naples. In addition to guiding Napoli to 16 more points than at this stage last season, he has refined their porous backline, turning it into an almost impregnable unit.

Napoli have only conceded 16 league goals this season, not to mention they’ve kept a league-high 12 shutouts in the opening 23 rounds. Three came in their last five home games in Serie A, with Roma, Venezia, and Verona falling victim to their off-the-charts defensive stubbornness.

Walk in the Park

Underestimating Udinese would be a grave mistake. However, Napoli can afford to enter this contest somewhat complacent, considering they’ve dominated this opposition through and through in the past decade. For perspective, you’d need to go back to 2013 for the last time they failed to beat the Friulian outfit on home turf.

Since then, it’s all been plain sailing for Napoli as they’ve racked up a jaw-dropping ten-game winning home streak against their upcoming rivals in Serie A action. Furthermore, they’ve bagged at least three goals in five of their last seven home meetings with Udinese, emerging victorious on each occasion.

But neutrals shouldn’t hold their breath as fans in attendance may not enjoy a spectacle this time.

Uneventful Frontline

Conte values results above all else. Therefore, it’s barely surprising most of Napoli’s victories under the former Inter and Juventus coach have produced narrow one-goal margins. Furthermore, nine teams have netted more home goals than Napoli’s 17 this season.

Before putting precisely two past Juventus and Verona in their last two games at the Maradona Stadium, Napoli had failed to score more than once in five consecutive home matches. Yet, their long-standing dominance in this match-up could bring a change of fortunes.

Either way, they should put three more points on the board.