Napoli returns to Champions League action on Wednesday against Barcelona with a new manager, as Francesco Calzona takes charge of his first match only 48 hours after being appointed the team’s third boss of the season.
Can Calzona find a way to get Napoli scoring again? Bookmaker Pinnacle has the odds at 2.71 for Napoli to score once on Wednesday and 4.05 for the hosts to get two goals, while the odds are at 8.04 for a big three-goal outburst.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 20th, 10:00 A.M. (EST)
Napoli has been nullified three times over the last five matches, and the poor run of form cost Walter Mazzarri his job just 17 games after he replaced Rudi Garcia in November. The post-Luciano Spalletti era has started horribly in Naples, and Calzona finds himself taking over a side that sits ninth in Serie A.
There’s very little to salvage from the league season, but as long as Napoli remains in contention in the Champions League, there’s still a chance to get something positive out of the campaign. Matches in cup competitions can be very unpredictable at times, and there should still be enough quality in the Napoli squad to match any team in Europe on a good day.
Considering Calzona has never worked on this level, his appointment can be seen as a major surprise, but he’s well-acquainted with a large chunk of the Napoli squad, and this could be a big plus ahead of the final stretch of the season. The 55-year-old came up the leagues as Maurizio Sarri’s assistant, and he was also part of Spalletti’s backroom staff at Napoli a couple of seasons back before taking over the Slovakian national team.
Calzona has made Slovakia a side that’s very tough to beat – the team has lost just three times in 14 games under him – and Barcelona could be in for a frustrating evening if Xavi’s men can’t find their rhythm early on.
With Victor Osimhen returning to action, Napoli will also have a major scoring threat that can hurt Barca. After helping Nigeria reach the Africa Cup of Nations final, Osimhen is set to make his first Napoli appearance since Dec. 23.
Napoli’s star forward has failed to hit the heights of last season, but he’s on a run of six goals in eight Champions League appearances, and Barcelona’s lackluster defense could be easy prey for him. The Blaugrana have already conceded 23 goals in 12 outings across all competitions in 2024, and there have been only three clean sheets for Xavi’s side since the start of December.
