
Audio By Carbonatix
Two of Serie A's title contenders clash later tonight LIVE on Joy Sports and Adom TV on Multi-TV.Napoli striker Marek Hamsik is hoping he and his team-mates can rise to the occasion when they host Serie A leaders Juventus.The game at the San Paolo stadium was due to be played earlier this month but was postponed due to floods in Naples.Napoli, who have beaten AC Milan, Inter Milan and Manchester City this season, know it will take a monumental effort to stun unbeaten Juve."We will need to be at our best to beat Juventus, '' Hamsik said."We need a perfect team performance, one of those which we have put on in the past."And we hardly ever get it wrong against the big clubs.''The hosts go into the encounter nine points behind Juve after their 1-1 draw at Atalanta on Saturday.Hamsik knows the importance of this game in view of the Scudetto race.A win for Juve would see the Turin outfit climb four points clear of second-placed Milan, while it would leave Napoli 12 points adrift."We are Napoli and we cannot let Juventus run away from us,'' Hamsik said."We know that we will have plenty of support as other teams don't want Juve's lead to grow."If they take the advantage then it will be complicated to catch them. We need to beat them.''Juventus travel south on the back of Saturday's 1-0 win at Lazio, courtesy of Simone Pepe's goal.Antonio Conte's men are unlikely to take Napoli lightly and for good reason. The last time Juve won at the San Paolo stadium in the league was back in the 2000-01 campaign."We can expect a very challenging game in Naples,'' Conte said."It will be a big test for us even though it's still early in the campaign."We are nevertheless doing better than our initial predictions and this is the result of the good work done by my players.''Juve will have to overcome the absence of pivotal midfielder Claudio Marchisio, who serves a one-match ban. Marchisio has scored five goals in 11 league appearances this season.Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri will be without injured midfielder Marco Donadel.Walter Mazzarri will be expecting a significant improvement in his side's performance levels after only collecting a disappointing 1-1 draw with Atalanta over the weekend.The result also came in stark contrast to their triumphant display midweek against Manchester City in the Champions League.However, the Napoli coach received particular criticism for dropping Ezequiel Lavezzi on Saturday, and the Argentine forward is set to be reinstated in place of Goran Pandev, who failed to impress in his colleague's place as one of the two players supporting Edinson Cavani.MATCH TRIVIA* Napoli has won just one of its past six Serie A fixtures, with no league victory in their last four.* The club has not achieved consecutive domestic victories all season.* However, it remains unbeaten in its last four league meetings with Juventus, winning three.* Juventus is the only side without a defeat in Serie A after 11 matches, including seven wins.* In addition, the club has won their past four on the bounce, but have kept just one clean sheet in the sequence.* The away team has won just once in their past 11 meetings; a 3-2 triumph for Napoli during the 2009-10 campaign.Napoli vs. Juventus kicks- off LIVE at 7:45pm on Joy Sports and Adom TV tonight. Pre-match discussions begin at 7:15pm.Europa League action resumes on Thursday on both Channels.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
SIMS executive urges community banks, fintechs to partner for deeper financial inclusion
15 minutes -
NPP beats NDC with 49% support in new APL national vote tracker
18 minutes -
Business incubators as a de-Risking tool for SME financing in Ghana
20 minutes -
Why Ghana can’t ignore plastic pollution and marine litter: A World Ocean Day reflection
28 minutes -
Ghana’s economy set for 5.9-6.1% growth in 2026 despite Middle East tensions – Standard Bank Research
31 minutes -
Kennedy Agyapong’s statements undermine NPP’s good name – Ahiagbah
48 minutes -
I will not rest until Bawumia becomes Ghana’s President in 2028 – Wontumi
51 minutes -
Ignore the distractions – Sammi Awuku urges Bawumia
54 minutes -
NCPTA backs GES ban on extravagant graduation ceremonies in basic schools
57 minutes -
Bibiani NPP coordinators demand resignation of Western North Regional Chairman over mass disqualification
60 minutes -
UTAG gives government June 30 deadline to resolve welfare issues or face strike
1 hour -
Ghana’s non-traditional exports exceed $5bn mark
1 hour -
Stanbic Bank rewards FIFA World Cup winners and launches new Visa local card usage initiative
1 hour -
Handicrafts sector records 500% growth in exports – GEPA
1 hour -
Emirates expands operations in Ghana with additional weekly flights
1 hour