Napoli vs. Sampdoria live stream: Watch Serie A online

Napoli face Sampdoria at the Stadio San Paolo on Saturday, Dec. 23. Here’s all the info you need to watch.

Napoli regained control of first place in Serie A after Inter Milan lost their first game of the season last Saturday. That 3-1 defeat to Udinese, coupled with Napoli’s win by the same scoreline against Torino, allowed the Partenopei to take sole possession of first place.

At home Saturday against Sampdoria, the Napoli faithful are expected to pack into the Stadio San Paolo in the hope their beloved team can give them an early Christmas present in the form of another victory.

The player to get the loudest cheers will certainly be captain Marek Hamsik. The midfielder equaled Diego Maradona’s goals tally for the club when he scored against Torino. The Slovakian, who has been with Napoli since 2007, tallied his 115th goal for the team in all competitions. He has the chance to surpass the Argentine great this weekend.

“We are where we want to be [in the standings],” said Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri. “The season is very long, but we must continue like this.”

This is a Napoli team that hit a temporary bump following their recent loss to Juventus and elimination from the Champions League earlier this month. However, Sarri’s side have proven tough, both physically and mentally, throughout the season. Against Sampdoria, Napoli will do battle with a formidable side. Overachieving Sampdoria are currently sixth in the table, directly behind the quintet of teams still alive in the title race. For Napoli, this will not be an easy three points. Nonetheless, the speed with which the team can move the ball — led by midfielder Jorginho and striker Dries Mertens — has made Napoli a deadly counterattacking team and a joy to watch this season. Sarri’s team even earned praise from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola after the sides met twice in the group stage of the Champions League.

Napoli know that a draw or loss could mean being leapfrogged by second-place Juventus, just a point behind them, or by Inter, who are two points off the pace. While Sampdoria have been inconsistent (their 1-0 loss to Sassuolo this past Sunday being the latest example), they feature a tough midfield and an offense that will test Sarri’s defense. Therefore, expect Napoli to play their regulars after the midweek Coppa Italia match against Udinese. The Scudetto race is too important for Sarri to forgo and he will put all his efforts in trying to stay atop the table as the season officially enters the busy Christmas period.

As mentioned, Sampdoria are a Jekyll-and-Hyde club (after posting a 3-0 loss to Bologna on Nov. 25), but also a team that downed Juventus 3-2 just the week prior to that defeat. The Bluecerciati are led by their top scorer, journeyman 34-year-old striker Fabio Quagliarella with nine goals this season. The striker played at Napoli during the 2009-10 season.

“We are a little sloppier than usual in this period,” Samp coach Marco Giampaolo admitted when asked to explain his team’s recent slump. “This [past] weekend there have been some strange results – us losing at home, Inter losing [to Udinese], Fiorentina drawing [against Genoa]. That’s what this period is like. You can lose fluidity, you play more long balls than short and the conditions of the pitch don’t favor you.”

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The match between Napoli and Sampdoria will be streamed live on beIN Sports Connect, which you can access with your cable or satellite subscription, either online or through their app.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 23
Start time: 9 a.m. ET
Location: Naples, Italy
Stadium: San Paolo Stadium
TV Info: No TV
Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect, Fubo.TV

Can Napoli win and maintain first place or will Sampdoria knock off another title contender in their quest to grab a Europa League spot?

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