Napoli vs Juventus headlines Matchweek 18 in Serie A

Matchweek 18 in Serie A sees Max Allegri’s Juventus side travel to Naples for a top-of-the-table clash with league leaders Napoli. A win for the Old Lady will close the gap on the leaders to four points, but a win for Napoli will extend their lead at the summit to ten points. So we’re in for a cracker this Friday at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

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Juventus have turned their season around following a disastrous start to the 22/23 season and a Champions League exit at the Group stage, but Allegri’s men have turned a new leaf and are riding a high wave of momentum, winning their last eight league games without conceding a single goal, a feat the Bianconeri last achieved in 2018 under the same manager.

In terms of coming up clutch, Juventus have mastered the art of scoring late. They have scored six goals after the 85th minute in Serie A this season, more than any other team, with Danilo scoring an 86th-minute winner last time out against Udinese.

The hosts, on the other hand, suffered their first league defeat of the season coming up 1-0 short to Inter in the first game of 2023. However, Gli Azzurri found their groove and got back to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Sampdoria last time out.

Upfront, their talisman Victor Osimhen has become the second African player to score 10+ goals in three different Serie A seasons, after George Weah (1995/96; 1996/97 and 1997/98).

The matchup this Friday is perfectly poised, with both teams winning at least two matches against each other in the last five outings with the exception of a 1-1 draw this January.

MILAN TEAMS CHASING

AC Milan play Lecce and will be hoping for a positive result in their pursuit of a successful title defence. Both teams are undefeated in their last five matches. However, the Rossoneri hold the advantage over their opponents with the Giallorossi winless in their last five outings against the champions.

Inter host Verona this weekend looking to get back to winning ways following a 1-1 draw away to Monza. A player to watch for the Nerazzurri is Lautaro Martínez who has been involved in 11 goals this season (8 goals + 3 assists), a joint record alongside Leão, Osimhen, and Kvaratskhelia. In addition, he has scored seven goals in his last seven games started in Serie A (5 goals + 2 assists).

ROMA AND LAZIO CHASE EUROPE

Meanwhile, in the capital, Roma and Lazio are level on points and chasing European football. AS Roma host Fiorentina with a fourth home win on the cards while neighbours Lazio travel to 16th-placed Sassuolo.