Napoli vs. Hellas Verona live stream: Watch Serie A online
Napoli host Hellas Verona on Saturday, Jan. 6 at the Stadio San Paolo. Here’s what you need to know before you watch.
League leaders Napoli, after finishing the first half of the season in first place with 48 points, host Hellas Verona in another must-win game for the Partenopei given that their one-point lead over Juventus could vanish in an instant.
While Juve play at Cagliari, Napoli need to secure the three points after coming off a rare defeat — to Atalanta on Tuesday at home — in the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia. Cup competitions have not been favorable to Napoli this season after the early exit from the group stages of the Champions League.
Napoli’s limited bench (a reason for the 2-1 defeat to Atalanta after coach Maurizio Sarri started a mostly second-string side) have given them limited resources as they try to win their first Scudetto since 1990. Not equipped financially as Juventus or AC Milan (little good it has done the Rossoneri this season), Napoli have had to make due with what they have and hope that key players such as captain Marek Hamsik, Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne avoid injury.
It has worked so far — although playing so many fixtures during the Christmas season has proven a true test for Napoli. For the most part, the team have come out of it unscathed as far as the league standings are concerned. Last week’s 1-0 win at Crotone proved a scrappy effort and Sarri’s men were able to maintain their position atop the table as a result. Napoli need to continue doing that on a weekly basis if it wants to taste victory come spring.
Napoli don’t really care about the Champions League or Coppa Italia. This team’s main objective from the start has been to snatch the league title away from rivals Juventus. They have successfully been doing that this winter, managing to fend off the likes of Inter Milan and AS Roma, although Juventus appear reinvigorated and are not about to back down from what has become the tightest title races of the five major domestic competitions in Europe.
Verona are currently second from the bottom and appear relegation bound. Teams vying for the title often drop points to desperate teams looking to avoid the drop. Sarri will feature his strongest lineup, with Hamsik marshaling the midfield, with the payoff that their strikers, Dries and Insigne, make this a lopsided scoreline. On matchday 1, Napoli defeated Hellas 3-1 in Verona to open the season.
Napoli are also trying to bulk up their roster during the January transfer window. They have several targets in sight, including budding Fiorentina striker Federico Chiesa. The move would add some offensive depth at a time when every point could mean the difference between winning it all and finishing second or third.
Hellas played Juventus last Saturday, staying with the defending champions until the Bianconeri won the match 3-1 thanks to a brilliant performance by Paulo Dybala with two goals midway through the second half. Napoli will need their own brilliant outing on Saturday, something its strikers are very capable of inflicting against a Verona defense that has conceded 39 goals in 19 games.
Next: All live stream info in one place
The match between Napoli and Verona will be broadcast live on beIN Sports. Live streaming is also available on beIN Sports Connect, which you can access through your cable or satellite subscription either online or through their app.
Date: Saturday, Jan. 6
Start time: 8:55 a.m. ET
Location: Naples, Italy
Stadium: San Paolo Stadium
TV Info: beIN Sports
Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect, Fubo.TV
Can the Napoli train keep chugging along or will relegation-threatened Verona slam the brakes on them?