Ace Football previews the Supercoppa Italiana between Juventus and Napoli, and offers the latest stats and team news.
The Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia plays host to the Italian Super Cup final between Juventus and Napoli on Wednesday night.
Last season’s Serie A and Coppa Italia winners meet for the 33rd edition of the annual winter contest. A first trophy in 2020/21 is at stake here in what we expect to be another hotly contested affair between old rivals.
The last time these sides met was in the Coppa Italia final in June. Upon settling for a 0-0 draw after normal time, Napoli defeated Juventus 4-2 in a penalty shootout to win the competition for the sixth time in Rome.
Juventus Form & Stats
The record eight-time Italian Super Cup winners arrive on the back of a 2-0 loss to Inter Milan. They were outplayed at San Siro and were perhaps fortunate not to lose by a bigger scoreline, even though Cristiano Ronaldo had a goal ruled out.
Juventus are now 10 points behind runaway Serie A leaders AC Milan. And while they have a game in hand, the pressure is on Andrea Pirlo. The rookie coach cannot afford to lose to Napoli. Doing would not only cost him a first trophy, but it could derail some of the promising progress made in recent weeks.
Merih Demiral’s injury also leaves the Bianconeri manager with few options for defense. Matthijs de Ligt, Juan Cuadrado, and Alex Sandro all remain out with COVID-19. He also tested Dejan Kulusevski alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in training, implying he could start the two of them together.
All eyes will definitely be on Ronaldo to supply the goods. The forward has a knack for starring in the big moments and has made almost half of the Bianconeri’s league goals, despite missing three games. His experience in big finals could also prove a valuable asset.
Key Team Stats
- Failed to win their last 2 games in all competitions.
- Failed to beat Napoli in their last 2 games in all competitions.
- Won 13 of their last 18 games in all competitions (D3 L2).
- BTTS in 4 of their last 6 games in all competitions.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has made 22 goal contributions in only 19 games across all competitions (19 goals, 3 assists).
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 19 goals in 30 appearances in club cup finals.
Napoli Form & Stats
Napoli pulverized Fiorentina 6-0 on Sunday to make it three wins in a row across all competitions. Lorenzo Insigne (x2), Diego Demme, Hirving Lozano, Piotr Zielinski, and Matteo Politano were all on target.
Gennaro Gattuso’s men have won four of their last five games (D1) to leapfrog the likes of Juventus into third-place in the Serie A table. They’re currently nine points adrift of pacesetters AC Milan, but with a game in hand.
Like Juventus, however, Napoli are without key men. Victor Osimhen and Fabian Ruiz remain out with COVID-19, while Dries Mertens and Andrea Petagna have struggled for fitness. Kevin Malcuit, meanwhile, remains sidelined.
Although the Partenopei are in excellent form and have beaten Juventus in their two meetings, including last season’s Coppa Italia final. They’ve also won each of their last four finals against the Old Lady.
Key Team Stats
- Won 4 of their last 5 games in all competitions (L1).
- Beaten Juventus in their last 4 cup final meetings.
- Got the league’s best defensive record (16 goals conceded).
- BTTS in 5 of their last 6 games in all competitions.
- Lorenzo Insigne has scored 5 goals in his last 5 league games.
Team News
Juventus
Out: Juan Cuadrado, Alex Sandro, Matthijs de Ligt, Paulo Dybala, Merih Demiral.
Doubts: N/A.
Napoli
Out: Victor Osimhen, Fabian Ruiz.
Doubts: Dries Mertens and Andrea Petagna
Predicted Line-up
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in Serie A
Head-To-Head Record
Juventus boast an 82-42 advantage over Napoli in 173 encounters, including 49 draws. The teams last met in the 2020 Coppa Italia final, which Napoli won in a penalty shootout.
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in the Serie A.
Match Facts
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