Napoli confirms Lukaku deal ahead of Serie A home clash with Bologna
Napoli host Bologna on Sunday 25 August at 19:45 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, in the second matchday of the 2024/25 Serie A season. Antonio Conte is already under pressure following a historically poor start to the campaign, while Bologna travel in confident mood under debutant manager Vincenzo Italiano. The match will be refereed by Luca Pairetto.
Conte under pressure after worst Serie A opening round of the century
Antonio Conte's return to Serie A has been anything but smooth. The 3-0 home defeat to Hellas Verona on the opening matchday was Napoli's worst start to a season this century — made all the more painful given that Verona only narrowly avoided relegation last term. The warning signs had come even earlier: in the Coppa Italia, Napoli needed a penalty shootout to see off Serie B side Modena. Last season's home record offers little comfort either. Napoli won just six of their nineteen home fixtures (6W, 7D, 5L), making them one of the weakest sides in the division on their own patch. Among those home defeats was a 2-0 loss to this same Bologna side, in the penultimate home game of the season — a result that stings even more in retrospect. At his press conference, Conte refused to be drawn on transfer market questions and kept his focus firmly on the opposition: 'I want to talk about Bologna. As you know, this is an important match. You know what they achieved last season. Let's put all our focus on this game — that's what matters most to me.' Although the deal for Romelu Lukaku has now been finalised, Conte is expected to opt for a 3-4-2-1 on Sunday with Giovanni Simeone leading the attack. Victor Osimhen remains a doubt, having played no minutes for the club due to his anticipated departure.
Bologna travel in high spirits under debutant manager Italiano
Vincenzo Italiano made an encouraging Serie A debut as Bologna manager. The 1-1 draw against Udinese was built on a dominant display: 74 per cent possession and no fewer than 22 attempts on goal. With those figures in mind, Bologna head to Naples in a positive frame of mind. Conte himself praised Italiano two months ago as 'one of the most promising coaches around', following the manager's work in guiding Fiorentina to a top-half finish and a second consecutive UEFA Conference League final. For Italiano, a third straight top-half season — this time with Bologna — is a clear objective, with early points crucial before the added burden of European football kicks in. Bologna's away record as underdogs provides further grounds for optimism: the club have lost just one of their last eleven away matches in that role (4W, 6D, 1L). Italiano is expected to set up in a 4-2-3-1 with Argentine striker Santiago Castro in the starting eleven. Nicolò Cambiaghi and Oussama El Azzouzi are unavailable, while Scottish midfielder Lewis Ferguson also misses out after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
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Source: Sportmonks
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