Napoli visit Frosinone at the Stadio Matusa on Sunday afternoon in Serie A to try and become Campione d’Inverno.
The Partenopei sit currently just one point away from Inter and with a win combined to a draw or loss of the Nerazzurri, Maurizio Sarri’s men would be top of the league mid season. Napoli come from two consecutive wins – away to Atalanta and home to Torino – following the goalless draw with Roma, and having started their 2016 on a high they want to at least try to grasp the top spot of Serie A after 19 games.
Frosinone, on the other hand, have started their new year on a positive note with the away draw at Sassuolo, but haven’t won in four games – in which they scored five goals, but conceded 12, and are desperate for the three points to leap out of the drop zone. Roberto Stellone’s men are currently 18th with 15 points, just one less than Genoa.
Last season the two teams did not meet, as Frosinone was in Serie B, nor have they met at all in Serie A, being this the Ciociari’s first season in the top flight. Napoli played at the Stadio Matusa twice, nonetheless, winning in both occasions: in 2005 in third division and in 2007 in Serie B.
This game will be very different, though, as both clubs have started a new era. Napoli is now coached by Sarri, who will have every member of the squad available for this game, so it is likely that he will confirm his best starting XI.
Stellone, on the other hand, will not be able to count on Aleandro Rosi and Massimiliano Carlini, both ruled out with an injury, whilst Daniel Pavlovic is banned for this game. However, Frosinone has all the main starting XI available and will count on the usual duo up front – Daniel Ciofani and Federico Dionisi – to score goals to grasp the three points.
Form Guide: Frosinone (W-L-L-L-D) Napoli (W-D-W-W-W)
Expected Starting XIs
Frosinone (4-4-2): Leali; M. Ciofani, Ajeti, Diakitè, Crivello; Sammarco, Cibsah, Gucher, Soddimo; D. Ciofani, Dionisi.
Napoli (4-3-3): Reina; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Hamsik, Jorginho, Allan; Callejon, Higuain, Insigne.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com