The star-studded clash between Napoli and Juventus will serve as the highlight of Saturday's Serie A action. The Neapolitans have hit fine form and are deservedly leading the season, but the sale of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain has diminished their attacking potential, giving Juventus a defensive edge.
Napoli’s double defeat by Lazio in early December (1:3 in the Cup and 0:1 in the league) proved to be a valuable lesson. Since then, they have only Serie A fixtures, allowing for a full week's preparation cycle. From 14 December, the Neapolitans have been on a six-match winning streak, conceding just four goals (with three clean sheets). Overall, they have leaked the fewest goals in the league (14).
Juventus boast an edge over their opponents in the xGA metric (16.86 – the best in the tournament), and the Turin side remain unbeaten. Their victory over AC Milan (2:0) demonstrated that Thiago Motta can rely on his squad depth – Timothy Weah's substitution did not disrupt their defence (no shots conceded after the break) and contributed two goals with 0.55 xG. However, their Champions League performance against Club Brugge (0:0) left more to be desired in attack.
In the fifth round of Serie A, Napoli and Juventus settled for a goalless draw (0:0), with both sides recording just two shots on target combined over 90 minutes. While the upcoming game may not be as closed, it is unlikely to deliver a high frequency or quality of chances.
