Napoli vs. Udinese live stream: Watch Serie A live
Napoli host Udinese on Wednesday, April 18. Here’s what to know before you watch.
Related Story: The 25 best club soccer teams of all time
Napoli, six points adrift of league leaders Juventus, host Udinese knowing they need a win. In fact, after Napoli’s scoreless draw on the road against AC Milan this past Sunday, the Partenopei can’t afford to make any more mistakes. With Juve steamrolling opponents, Napoli need a home win Wednesday at the Stadio San Paolo ahead of their head-to-head clash against the Serie A leaders this coming Sunday.
With Maurizio Sarri in the running to replace Antonio Conte at Chelsea, the Napoli manager has been coy about his future. Sarri, however, hasn’t been shy about his ambitions this season, praising his players and saying his side will fight for the title until the very end.
“We are on our journey, the team did well and if we had played this performance with this result in the first half of the season, we would’ve been praised for it,” Sarri told reporters Sunday.
After recent late-game heroics against Chievo Verona, striker Arkadiusz Milik could have won the game for Napoli in the dying moments of the game, but his effort was superbly saved by AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Some 40,000 fans are expected Wednesday for the game against Udinese, a team just six points away from the drop zone. Sarri will be forced to field a 4-3-3 lineup without star defender Kalidou Koulibaly, suspended after being yellow-carded Sunday. In attack, Milik is expected to start (in order to give Dries Mertens a much-needed rest given that he’s a yellow card away from a one-game suspension), while the midfield will be marshaled by Jorginho after captain Marek Hamsik could also be given a rest.
This is a game Napoli need do well in order to jumpstart their title hopes. It’s true the team have looked less swashbuckling compared to earlier this season, their fast-paced game and Sarri not rotating his players finally catching up with them late in the season.
Milik, in great form after coming off the bench against AC Milan, will play alongside Napoli’s formidable attack, which includes Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon. These two players, alongside Mertens, have created 54 goals between them in Serie A this season. Insigne has scored 16 goals.
It’s a formidable lineup that takes on a Udinese side already thinking about their Sunday clash against Crotone, who are third from bottom. The game has huge ramifications in the battle to avoid relegation. In order to prep for that match, Udinese coach Massimo Oddo needs his side to grab a point at Napoli in order to snap a nine-game losing streak. With the defense leaking goals, it could be ripe for Insigne to take advantage of the situation. It also won’t help that Oddo plans to rest some players in order to prep for the Crotone.
“I’m focused on our objectives, not that of other teams,” Oddo told reporters on Tuesday. “We can’t show up against Crotone decimated, therefore we go to Naples with the players who are fit and that’s it.”
Oddo’s 3-5-2 formation is also decimated late in the season due to a variety of factors. Udinese will be without central midfielder Emil Hallfredsson due to suspension, while Valon Behrami, a former Napoli attacking midfielder, and striker Kevin Lasagna are both sidelined with injuries.
Next: Best live streams to watch sports and TV shows
The match between Napoli and Udinese will be broadcast live on beIN Sports. Live streaming is also available on beIN Sports Connect, which you can access with your cable or satellite subscription, either online or through their app.
Date: Wednesday, April 18
Start time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Naples, Italy
Stadium: San Paolo Stadium
TV Info: beIN Sports
Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect | Fubo.TV. Sign up for a free seven-day trial here.
Napoli have dominated over Udinese in the past three seasons, losing just once in eight league matches. Napoli defeated Udinese 1-0 in the first Serie A meeting of the season. Napoli also faced Udinese in the Coppa Italia’s round of 16, winning 1-0 at home on a goal by Insigne.