Serie A: Is Napoli’s strange season already over?
Napoli, the second-best team in Italy behind Juventus the past few years, has had a tough go of it this fall. Can Napoli salvage their season and win a trophy?
There are many ways one can go about describing Napoli’s season: inconsistent and unstable. Another word to describe it is strange. Yes, strange because Napoli have been so good the past few years, only to disappoint this fall.
There was lots of hype surrounding Carlo Ancelotti’s team in preseason. Napoli had finished second to Juventus last season in the Serie A standings, prompting speculation that the Partneopei could very well compete for the scudetto or more.
Napoli have been strong the past five seasons, a time that saw the club have three different managers: Rafa Benitez, Maurizio Sarri and current coach Carlo Ancelotti. It has been a dream start for them in the Champions League, following an upset win against Liverpool and Red Bull Salzburg and an unlucky draw versus Genk.
In Serie A, things have been different. The team started the week in fourth place with 17 points, six points off the pace. At the same time last season under Ancelotti, Napoli were second with 21 points, four away from leaders Juventus. Defeats to Juventus and Cagliari didn’t help, although lackluster draws against Torino and Spal certainly didn’t help.
It is their worst Serie A start in five seasons. At the start of the 2014-15 season under Benitez, Napoli only amassed 15 points through nine games. The best start? It was under Sarri, in his last season at the club, where Napoli were in first place at the start of the 2017-18 season. At the same point as this season, the club was tops with 25 points. The team would go on to miss out on the title down the stretch to Juventus.
What’s truly stunning is that Napoli are stacked with talent. New additions this past summer like defender Kostas Manolas and midfielder Eljif Elmas were supposed to bolster both the defense and midfield, helping a veteran-laden squad featuring strikers Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens finally win some silverware that matters.
Recent statistical analysis and preseason hype aside, two big games last week (at home against Atalanta and this past Saturday at Roma) placed Napoli at a crossroads. It was one of those make-or-break stretch of games early in the season that can set the tone for the next few months. It was two games Napoli had to win to stay in the hunt for the title.
The Atalanta game lived up to the pre-match billing and ended in a controversial 2-2 draw that resulted in Ancelotti’s sending off. For Napoli, it was another frustrating draw, blamed largely on the referee’s use of VAR. Ancelotti was also handed a one-match ban and forced to miss this past Saturday’s Roma game.
The situation went from bad to worse when Napoli lost to Roma 2-1 in a game, the winning goal coming in the 55th minute via a penalty kick scored by Jordan Veretout. Napoli hit the woodwork twice and goalkeeper Alex Meret saved a PK. The defeat plunged the team to seventh place.
Next. Atalanta remains scary good this season. dark
“VAR has to work for everyone,” Insigne told reporters following the defeat to Roma, “not just for some.”
Issues with VAR aside, this is a Napoli side in dire need of wins. The last few weeks could go very well on to define the Ancelotti era. Promise has turned to misery. Is Napoli done this season? It certainly looks to be that way.