Fiorentina – Napoli

The international break is over, and we can once again turn our attention to Serie A. Reigning champions Napoli, with their star-studded squad, travel to Florence to face Stefano Pioli and his Fiorentina. The home team has had a somewhat slow start to the season and have some catching up to do, while Napoli are looking to continue their strong start. Everything is set for high intensity and entertaining football when the teams meet on Saturday night.

Fiorentina – The sleeping giant 

It has been a difficult start to the season for the team from Florence, who have opened with two draws: 1-1 away to Cagliari and 0-0 away to Torino in a match with few chances. The new system that Stefano Pioli has introduced after taking over in July is not yet fully established, and the team has struggled to create big chances.

The background to the coaching change was dramatic – the previous coach chose to resign shortly after extending his contract until 2027. Thus, much of the momentum from last season disappeared.

Not much has happened in the transfer market either, but Nicolò Fagioli has signed a permanent deal, and veteran Edin Džeko is back in Serie A. With his experience, he can give the attack an extra dimension. At the same time, everyone is waiting for Moise Kean, who was second on the top scorer list last year, to open his goal account and find his great form again.

Looking back at last season, Fiorentina were an attacking team that scored an average of 1.6 goals per game. With attacking wing-backs like Dodô and Robin Gosens, they were very dangerous going forward. Now Pioli needs time to make his mark on the team, but once he gets going, Fiorentina could once again become an opponent to fear.

Napoli – Can the success be replicated?

Napoli have had a solid but expected start to the season. They have beaten both Sassuolo away and Cagliari at home, the latter after a dramatic goal by Zambo Anguissa deep into extra time. Two wins in two games and six points provide a perfect starting point to build on last year's success.

The summer transfer window has further strengthened the squad. The biggest signing is Kevin De Bruyne, who comes in with vast experience from the Premier League. Scott McTominay, who was a key player for Conte last season, has already proven himself as a goal-scoring midfielder this season as well.

Romelu Lukaku's injury situation has created uncertainty in the striker position. Lukaku was very important for both goals and interaction in the attack. Rasmus Højlund has been brought in on loan, and it may prove to be a smart move, as he has previously delivered strongly in Serie A, although his stay in England was disappointing.

Anyone who followed Serie A last season knows how good Conte's men were. The team appeared like a machine - solid at the back and explosive up front. With this year's signings and development, Napoli look set to be just as exciting to watch this season.

What can Saturday offer?

History speaks for the away team: Napoli won both meetings last season, and the last four meetings between the teams have averaged over three goals per game. However, we could get a different picture this time around – Fiorentina are still adjusting to a new coach, and Napoli are missing Lukaku.

All in all, it looks like an interesting match between two teams with different forms, but with a lot of quality on the pitch. This will be a duel worth following closely.

Italy at 20:45: Fiorentina - Napoli: Napoli win (2.12)

Alternative games:

Italy at 20:45: Fiorentina – Napoli: over 2.5 goals (2.33)

Italy at 20:45: Fiorentina - Napoli: over 8.5 corners (1.98)