Napoli v Leicester predictions: Goals may be on the menu

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Napoli v Leicester in the Europa League on Thursday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 5.45pm Thursday

Best bets

Over 2.5 goals
2pts 8-11 bet365

Piotr Zielinski to score first
0.5pt each-way 12-1 bet365

Team news

Napoli
The Serie A side could be without seven first-team players. Victor Osimhen and Kalidou Koulibaly are longer-term absentees, with Lorenzo Insigne, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Fabian Ruiz also expected to miss out. Konstantinos Manolas and Stanislav Lobotka are both doubtful.

Leicester
James Justin and Wesley Fofana remain sidelined but Youri Tielemens is available. Kelechi Iheanacho, Ayoze Perez, Jannik Vestergaard, Daniel Amartey, Ademola Lookman, Filip Benkovic and Vontae Daley-Campbell have not travelled.

Match preview

Serie A title-chasers Napoli are in the midst of an injury crisis while Premier League Leicester are being impeded by defensive deficiencies, and that should guarantee goals in a Europa League crunch clash neither team can afford to lose.

Just two points separate all four sides in Group C heading into the final matchday and the Foxes fly to Naples in pole position knowing victory will book their ticket in the round of 16.

But the margins are fine and Brendan Rodgers’ side are just one point clear of Napoli and Spartak Moscow, who head to Poland to face another qualification hopeful in Legia Warsaw.

Leicester’s task has been made easier by a raft of injuries in the Napoli camp. Top scorer Victor Osimhen, star centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, Euro 2020-winning winger Lorenzo Insigne and former Fulham anchorman Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa are all out.

However, the Foxes’ fragility this season makes them tough to trust and more faith can be placed in the prospect of an entertaining encounter.

These teams played out a 2-2 draw at the King Power Stadium in September and the Italian giants felt aggrieved after they dominated the shot count 22 to seven.

But five of Napoli’s starting line-up from that night look set to miss out, which could level up the playing field, while the Foxes will always carry a threat with their pace on the break.

Leicester have few problems scoring goals but have conceded in all five European encounters and are without a Premier League clean sheet since the opening day - a sequence of 14 games.
Each of the hosts’ five Europa League group fixtures have rewarded backers of over 2.5 goals - their last four matches in Serie A have too - and this must-win clash may well follow suit.

The absence of Osimhen makes Belgian stalwart Dries Mertens, who has grabbed five goals in his last five starts, a leading candidate to score first. However, the double-figure quotes on offer for Piotr Zielinski make greater appeal.

Napoli’s injury woes places extra emphasis on the Polish playmaker, who has scored five times in his last eight appearances.

The 27-year-old opened the scoring from the penalty spot in a 4-1 Europa League triumph at Legia Warsaw in November, so should get the nod from 12 yards again, while he also found the net in recent meetings with Inter, Lazio and Atalanta.

Key stat

There have been three goals or more in 15 of Leicester’s 22 matches in all competitions this season.

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