Napoli – Chelsea

In Naples, the two opponents differ in the number of goals

The Italian champions have put themselves in a difficult position before the end of the Champions League group stage. The high rate of dropping points in the previous seven matchdays has left Napoli 25th in the standings. This position is the first outside the zone that grants access to the playoff qualifying round, which is allocated to teams finishing 9th–24th. Napoli have eight points, and seven teams lower in the table are between six and eight points inclusive. This means Conte's side will not be satisfied with a draw in the final round. Even more trouble for the Italian club is the fact that a strong side will visit them, with its own tournament objectives. Chelsea at the start of the month changed their manager. Instead of Enzo Maresca, Liam Rosenior, who had previously led Strasbourg, was appointed to the role on a long-term contract. The English coach faces a serious task of organizing play for a more star-studded team. Of course, a defeat in Naples won't earn Rosenior a pat on the head, but right now neither the coach nor the players of the Blues are under serious pressure. Bookmakers have not decided on the favourites for the upcoming match, offering a slight tilt of the odds toward the visitors' victory. Napoli this season have collapsed on all fronts. They are not only in the Champions League, having serious problems in the domestic championship. On Sunday Conte's team were crushed in Turin by a resurging Juventus. Such a result left the reigning champions in fourth position in the standings with a high risk of leaving the Champions League places in the Italian championship. Napoli have collected seven points out of eight in the Champions League group stage on their home ground, without losing a single match. Chelsea under Rosenior have lost only to Arsenal, their fellow countrymen, in the English League Cup. In the previous round of the Premier League, the Blues won away against Crystal Palace 3-1. Overall, Chelsea's form can be described as good. The visitors will come for the win to guarantee themselves a top-eight finish in the group stage. Such pre-match outlooks leave no room for even a 1-0 in the final scoreline.