Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Coppa Italia match.
Revamped Napoli are deservedly among the top three in Serie A, and they enter the southern derby against Palermo as clear favourites. It is likely that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Romelu Lukaku won't start the cup match, but they could be decisive options off the bench.
SSC Napoli
In their last four Serie A games, Napoli have conceded only one goal while responding with nine precise strikes of their own. A significant boon for Antonio Conte was parting with Victor Osimhen, who was disrupting the locker room atmosphere, and the arrival of Romelu Lukaku, who has immediately started scoring (the Belgian has already recorded 2+2 in Serie A). By xGA, Napoli sit in second place in Serie A, with only Juventus having a better expected goals against record (5.55 vs 2.27).
Palermo
It has been seven years since Palermo were last in the Italian top flight, and in the current campaign, the southern Italy side is far from the leaders in Serie B. Over six rounds, they have scored only five goals—only AS Cittadella and Frosinone Calcio have weaker attacks (both with four goals each). In the team, only the younger Roberto Insigne and Thomas Henry stand out, but both players have passed their peak.
SSC Napoli vs Palermo Prediction
At the moment, these teams are on entirely different levels, so there is no reason to expect an upset. Napoli will comfortably navigate past their opponents at home and secure advancement to the next round, even if some rotation is involved.
