Napoli vs Parma Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 Italian Serie A
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It has been a tumultuous and bizarre start to the season for Napoli with a lot resting on the final week of the summer transfer window for Antonio Conte as his Neapolitans’ now take on an enterprising Parma that gained promotion to Serie A last season.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 31st August, 2024 - UK – 7:45pm / US ET – 2:45pm / US PT – 11:45am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – Select matches will be televised on CBS Sports so it is worth checking their schedule
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – OneFootball / US – Paramount+
NAPOLI PREVIEW: UP IN THE AIR
At the time of writing, Napoli are closing in on the signings of Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku after the arrival of David Neres from Benfica last week which indicates the sale of Victor Osimhen is now close. Antonio Conte has been his usual whinging self for large parts of this summer but does appear to have players he wants coming through the door now.
The Neapolitans, who endured one of the worst defences of the Serie A title ever last season as they finished ninth, began their campaign in humiliating fashion at the Bentegodi as Hellas Verona hammered them by three goals to nil. They recovered well, though, to dispatch a transitioning Bologna side by the same scoreline in Naples last weekend.
PARMA PREVIEW: STRUCTURED FUN
Relatively big spending in recent years and still ambitious American-owned Parma, one of Italy’s storied clubs from the great 90s decade of Italian football, are back in Italy’s top-flight after winning Serie B last season under the management of former Juventus U23 coach Fabio Pecchia.
Parma, playing in Pecchia’s enjoyable to watch attacking style of football, began their 2024/25 campaign by posing a lot of threats to Fiorentina in a 1-1 draw at the Ennio Tardini before then welcoming AC Milan and managing to defeat the Rossoneri by two goals to one with strikes from Dennis Man and new signing Matteo Cancellieri.
NAPOLI TEAM NEWS: POTENTIAL NEW ADDITIONS
David Neres came off the bench for Napoli and contributed against Bologna last weekend so he could make a full debut but if deals for the likes of Gilmour, McTominay and Lukaku are completed, it is unlikely they get thrown straight into the eleven.
The hosts do not have any injury issues or suspensions for this weekend either so Conte, albeit David Neres will be itching to start, is expected to remain unchanged for this one.
PREDICTED XI (3-4-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Mazzocchi, Anguissa, Lobotka, Mathias Olivera; Politano, Raspadori, Kvaratskhelia
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
PARMA TEAM NEWS: FORWARD ISSUES
With Parma’s front foot and attacking style of football, they are likely to stubborn so, regardless where they go in the country, will not adjust or adapt to become more defensive based on opposition.
That admirable philosophy is what excites the neutral but Parma do remain without a couple of experienced attackers such as Hernani as well as Adrian Benedyczak.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Coulibaly, Balogh, Circati, Valeri; Adrian Bernabe, Nahuel Estevez; Man, Sohm, Mihaila; Bonny
UNAVAILABLE: Charpentier (Injured), Hernani (Injured), Benedyczak (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
NAPOLI VS PARMA PREDICTION
There is an expectation that this one could actually be quite a fun game at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona this weekend. Napoli are yet to really look clear and concise under Conte but there were much-improved signs of cohesive attacking patterns of play last weekend. Parma, on the other hand, could simply be the team to watch throughout the campaign so an entertaining watch for the neutral would be to be expected.
NAPOLI VS PARMA TIP: OVER 2.5 GOALS
