Napoli and Udinese meet for the final round of the Serie A season this Sunday evening. With the league table largely settled, it is a fixture that carries little pressure, though both sides will be looking to sign off on a high note before the summer break.
SSC Napoli Form & Analysis
Antonio Conte has achieved his primary objective for the campaign, with Napoli mathematically securing Champions League qualification following their dominant 3-0 victory away at Pisa last weekend. Scott McTominay, Amir Rrahmani, and Rasmus Højlund all found the net in a professional display that confirmed the club’s return to Europe’s elite competition.
While the stakes for this final game are low, Napoli have been a force at home throughout the season, boasting the third-best record in the division with 40 points from 18 matches. Conte may opt to manage his players' minutes given the lack of a decisive upcoming fixture, but with the pressure off, the side is expected to play with the confidence of a team that has successfully navigated a challenging campaign.
Udinese Form & Analysis
Udinese arrive at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona following a frustrating 0-1 home defeat to Cremonese. Despite that result, Kosta Runjaic has enjoyed a productive spell in charge, recently being named Serie A Coach of the Month for May. The club has reached the 50-point mark for the first time since the 2012/13 season, a testament to the progress made under his leadership.
The visitors will be without Nicolò Zaniolo, who is sidelined with lumbago, and Jürgen Ekkelenkamp, who continues his recovery from a fibula fracture. Runjaic has made it clear that he wants his side to finish the term positively, and while their away form has been steady, they face a Napoli side that has little reason to hold back now that their European ticket is stamped.
## Head-to-Head
Meetings between these two have historically been entertaining affairs, with both teams finding the back of the net in seven of their last eight encounters. Napoli have struggled to keep the door shut in this fixture, failing to record a clean sheet in any of those eight games, though they generally find a way to secure a result when playing in front of their own fans.
We Predict: Home Win
Napoli enter this final day in a relaxed state of mind having already ticked off their major goal for the season. While Udinese have had a respectable run under Runjaic, the individual quality in the Napoli squad, particularly following their convincing win at Pisa, should be enough to see them finish the campaign with three points. We expect a relatively open game in a dead-rubber atmosphere, with a home win 1.48413 being the primary play. A 2-1 scoreline looks a reasonable shout for those looking at the correct score market.
