Napoli - Viola preview

By: Joe | October 30th, 2007

Things have been hopping since Napoli’s historic victory over Juventus. The entire orderal with Marcelo “I was only trying to avoid Gigi” Zalayeta was exhausting. First he got the Adriano treatment and received a two match ban, Roma’s Luciano Spaletti and Inter’s Roberto Mancini defend Zalayeta, the inevitable appeal (does no one in Italy take their punishment without bitching about it?) and then, today, the shock reversal.

So now Napoli take all that momentum and goodwill to Firenze and take on Italy’s second undefeated team on Wednesday evening. Cesare Prandelli has built a tremendous side this year building on last years success. Despite the calciopoli point deduction, Fiorentina were still able to qualify for the EUFA Cup and played some exciting calcio throughout the campaign.

La Viola has outscored opponents 9-3 in their last five games and put up clean sheets in three of their last four matches (Livorno, Siena & Genoa). The backline of Ujfalusi, Gamberini, Dainelli and Pasqual have improved playing in front of the best keeper in Italy…I have lots of love for Gigi and Genarro Iezzo but Sebastien Frey has been in tremendous form for more than a year now. Shhhh, don’t tell Raymond Domenech. He may want to try and get Fabian Barthez out of retirement before next year’s Euro tournament.

Behind the direction of Pantaleo Corvini and President Andrea Della Valle have brought the storied franchise back from the depths of Serie C2. They’ve created a talented squad with some established veterans (Adrian Mutu, Frey, Bobo and Semioli) and some of the best young Italian talent (Riccardo Montolivo, Giampaolo Pazzini, Arturo Lupoli and Marco Donadel). This side is built to last and have hardly missed the best Italian forward who left Firenze for embarrassment of riches that is Bayern Munich.

My apologies for the short and very well researched preview. I’m in Amarillo, Texas helping with a software conversion. If you’ve been wracking your brain trying to find out where you can visit the Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Musuem and vacation in true West Texas style, I can show you around.

Probable: Vioala Frey; Pasqual, Gamberini, Dainelli, Potenza; Montolivo, Liverani, Donadel; Osvaldo, Pazzini, Semioli Napoli Iezzo, Domizzi, Cannavaro, Cupi; Savini, Gargano, Bogliacino, Dalla Bona, Garics; Lavezzi, Zalayeta

Form: Fiorentina (D-W-D-W-W) 9 goals for, 3 against Napoli (W-L-L-D-W) 10 goals for, 9 against