Napoli should shut out Zenga's Crotone

Serie A
BT Sport Extra 2, 7.45pm Friday

Walter Zenga led Crotone to a 1-0 victory over Chievo in his first home match in the Rossoblu dugout but will struggle to come up with a winning formula for the visit of Serie A leaders Napoli.

Last season Crotone finished fourth bottom and they are in the same position this term as they gear up for another battle for survival.

Three of their four wins have come at home but they have hosted only one of the top seven teams, losing 2-0 to Inter in September.

Zenga may be looking to bring in some new players in January and could do with adding improvements to all areas of the team given there are problems in both boxes. Crotone have shipped 36 goals in 18 games and scored just 13 times.

Getting anything against title-chasing Napoli is a tough ask and it is easy to see why the visitors are long odds-on favourites.

Not since 1989-90 and the era of Diego Maradona have Napoli won the Scudetto but they are building something special under head coach Maurizio Sarri, who steered then to second place in 2015-16 and third last season.

Napoli have set the pace for most of the season and lay claim to Italy's best away record, having collected 25 points from a possible 27 on their travels.

Sarri's team are renowned for producing exciting, adventurous football with Belgian attacking midfielder Dries Mertens, who has ten goals in 18 games, playing a starring role.

But the big improvement this season has been in defence with Napoli shipping just 13 goals, eight fewer than at the same stage of last season.

They have chalked up nine league clean sheets and can achieve another shutout against Crotone.

Recommendation
Napoli win to nil
1pt Evs Betfair

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