Skip to main content

Napoli v Wolfsburg: Rafa's boys to finish Italian job in style

Thursday April 22, 20:05
Live on BT Sport 1

Wolfsburg chose the worst possible time to put in their most feeble display of the season last week, as Napoli ruthlessly punished every mistake they made. Although Gonzalo Higuain's opener in the 4-1 defeat had more than a hint of handball about it, there's no question that the better side on the night won.
The Wolves have had a terrific season, but they looked tired during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Schalke in the Bundesliga. Champions League qualification has been assured, and this Europa League tie now looks beyond their reach, so the German Cup (they play third-tier Arminia Bielefeld in the semis) has moved to the top of the priority list.
Napoli have responded strongly to biting criticism from club supremo Aurelio De Laurentiis, and have won their last three games in all competitions, scoring 10 goals in the process. As I alluded to in last week's preview, Partenopei boss Rafa Benitez is a master of the two-legged tie. He set his team up perfectly last week, pressuring Wolfsburg into costly errors.
In the previous round, Napoli won the first leg 4-0 at Trabzonspor, and then they shut things down at the San Paolo with a 1-0 home win. I'm expecting something similar this time around, so Under 2.5 Goals is certainly worth considering at 2.40.
The bet that stands out to me is the 2.30 on offer for the home win. Wolfsburg's recent away performances have been patchy, and they will be without attacking talisman Kevin De Bruyne because of a bruised foot. Andre Schurrle is also absent, so the oft-derided Nicklas Bendtner (who scored in the first leg) is set to start.
Napoli have won all five of their home games in the Europa League, and against a weakened and demoralised Wolfsburg, I'd expect them to make it six. It's also worth noting that Napoli are unbeaten in their last 11 European home games, winning nine of them.

Recommended Bet
Back Napoli to win at 2.30



Popular posts from this blog

Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund: Eagles to build a wall in Berlin

Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund Saturday 27 May, 19:00 Live on BT Sport ESPN Eintracht Frankfurt This time last season, Eintracht Frankfurt were  fighting for survival  in a Bundesliga playoff against second-tier side Nurnberg. Fast forward a year, and they are preparing for their first major cup final since 2006, having finished well clear of relegation trouble this term. Having steered the Eagles through that playoff against Nurnberg, coach  Niko Kovac  set about galvanising not just the squad, but the entire club. Working with sporting director Bruno Hubner and former Germany striker Fredi Bobic,  Kovac has injected new life into an organisation that was drifting. Youngsters like defender  Jesus Vallejo  and forward Ante Rebic have been brought in on loan to good effect, and astute pickups like holding midfielder Omar Mascarell and forward Branimir Hrgota have become effective cogs in the machine. Although Frankfurt have twice...

Goals in Confederations Cup : Spain vs Uruguay 2-1

Tottenham’s Dele Alli eyes Premier League debut at Manchester United

It was quite the opening statement. Dele Alli, 24 minutes into his first start in a Tottenham Hotspur shirt, suckered in Luka Modric of Real Madrid, nutmegged him and accelerated away. The 70,000 sell-out crowd at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena roared at the 19-year-old’s sheer impudence. "We had a laugh about it in the tunnel afterwards; he was very good about it,” Alli said. "He shook my hand and said to me: ‘You little bugger’ – or something like that. I didn’t shout ‘nuts’ when I did it. I used to do that when I was young and get told off for it." As Alli spoke at the Allianz after Tuesday’s 2-0 Audi Cup victory, some of Real’s galácticos filed past. This time last year the midfielder was preparing for MK Dons’ League One season opener against Gillingham. His previous competitive game was for MK against Yeovil in May. Alli says “unreal” and “surreal” on a number of occasions and it is little wonder. This is a young player of conviction. If the nutmeg on one of...