UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid vs Napoli Live
Preview
The leaders of Group C in the Champions League, Real Madrid and Napoli, will face off at the Bernabeu on Wednesday. Carlo Ancelotti, now managing Real Madrid, will be up against his former team, Napoli. Real Madrid has already secured a spot in the knockout stage, so the only thing left to compete for is the top position in the group.
Real Madrid has won all four matches in their group, making them strong contenders to advance as group winners. They only need a draw in their upcoming match to secure a spot in the last 16 draw in December. Real Madrid’s strong home record, with no losses since April and eight wins in their last nine Champions League home games, makes it highly likely that they will achieve this. Additionally, their recent success against Italian teams, winning their last nine encounters, including a 3-2 victory in their previous match, adds to their favorable position. Despite injuries to key players like Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao, Real Madrid’s defense at home has been impressive this season.
Napoli will advance to the last 16 alongside Real Madrid if they win or achieve the same result as Braga against Union Berlin this week. Despite Union Berlin’s struggles this season, Napoli is guaranteed to participate in European football next year, whether it’s in the Champions League or Europa League. Their victory over Braga has made them strong contenders for the second spot.
This would mark their fifth consecutive progression past a UEFA group stage, and they are aiming for a second successive advancement in this competition, following their quarter-final appearance last season, which was a new club record. However, this season has been more turbulent compared to the successes of the previous season under Luciano Spalletti, as Rudi Garcia was dismissed just four months into the season after a home defeat to Empoli, which came shortly after being held by Union Berlin, a team that was on a 12-game losing streak at the time.
Walter Mazzarri has returned to the club and is now preparing for his first-ever encounter with Real Madrid in his managerial career. Mazzarri’s tenure began with a notable 2-1 victory away at Atalanta BC over the weekend, with Elif Elmas scoring a late winner for Napoli. This result extends their impressive away form to seven wins in nine matches on the road this season, with only minor setbacks being draws against Genoa and Bologna, as they have also averaged over two goals per game in those nine outings.
Head-to-head
Real Madrid has not been defeated in their previous three encounters with Napoli, emerging victorious in all three, including a 3-2 win on match day 2.
Prediction
The team only requires a draw to progress as group leaders. Despite numerous injuries, they are expected to maintain their strong home performance in this tournament. Mazzarri has faced a challenging beginning at Napoli, and upcoming matches against Inter Milan and Juventus will be tough. Although they managed to overcome a difficult test in Bergamo last weekend, it will be challenging to repeat that success in the upcoming match.
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