Napoli and Fiorentina will face each other at 20 pm in the first semi-final of the Italian Super Cup, which will be played in Riyadh.
The Neapolitans have the duty to try everything to try to bring home this trophy which could sweeten a season with a decidedly bitter taste.
Below are Mazzarri's squad for the match.
Napoli call-up list
Mazzarri, who should rely on the usual 4-3-3, has called up the following Napoli players for the match against Fiorentina:
Goalkeepers
- Written
- Gollini
- Meret
- Contini
Defenders
- By Lorenzo
- Mazzocchi
- Jesus
- D'Avino
- Ostigard
- Rrahmani
- Mario Rui
- Olive
Midfielders
Forwards
- politan
- kvaratskhelia
- Breakers
- Simeon
- Zerbin
What to expect and the premises of Naples – Fiorentina
The match between Napoli and Fiorentina, on the occasion of the first Italian Super Cup played by four teams, promises to be a challenge full of tensions and expectations. The semi-final, which will be held at the KSU Stadium in Riyadh, will pit Napoli, winners of last season's Scudetto, against Fiorentina, finalists of the Italian Cup.
Napoli, despite being reigning champions, is facing a difficult season. With 20 points behind leaders Inter and a series of disappointing results (only three wins in their last ten competitive matches), Walter Mazzarri's team seems to have turned their attention to the Super Cup as their last hope for a trophy this season. The pressure on the coach is high, especially after the humiliating elimination from the Italian Cup against Frosinone.
On the other hand, Vincenzo Italiano's Fiorentina comes to this match in a much better shape, having lost only one of their last 11 competitive matches. Despite a game that is not always spectacular, as demonstrated by the fact that they have scored more than one goal in regular time only once in the last eight matches, “La Viola” is in the running for the top four positions in Serie A.
The players to keep an eye on will be Matteo politan for Napoli, who will have to make up for Victor's absence osimhen, and Giacomo Bonaventura for Fiorentina, whose contribution could be decisive given its good record in direct matches against Napoli.
An interesting statistic concerns penalties: five of the last eight official direct clashes between the two teams have seen at least one penalty kick. This could indicate that in this semi-final too we could see key moments dictated by errors and refereeing decisions.
Napoli is trying to redeem itself in a tournament it could represent the only concrete possibility of a seasonal success, while Fiorentina aims to exploit their good moment and win their second Italian Super Cup after the one in 1996.
