Napoli vs Arsenal - Uefa Champions League 2013/2014
Date: Wednesday, 11 December 2013 - 8:45 pm CET - 19:45 UK (BST)
Stadium: Stadio San Paolo, Napoli, Italy
Arsenal take on
Napoli in the final Champions League group match at the Stadio San Paolo
on Wednesday. Neither Arsenal nor Napoli may be sure their European
progression. Still these are Arsene Wenger’s men who face an easier task
while even a draw in the south of Italy will be enough to clinch the
first place in Group F.
Napoli sit
now third in Group F having equal number points as the second Borussia
Dortmund. The team from Naples may still progress to the knockout stage
of UEFA Champions League. If they do not want to rely on the score of
the Marseille – Dortmund clash, they must win by a three-goal margin.
Manager Rafa Benitez has a few players unavailable for the Wednesday
match. The biggest miss for the Italians is their influential midfielder
Marek Hamsik. The other injured players are Juan Camilo Zuniga and
Giandomenico Mesto. In Italian Serie A they have scored 32 points which
places them at a very good third position being four points above
Internazionale and five behind second Roma. Their recent form cannot
calm down their supporters; in the last five games, Napoli managed to
take three points only away against poor Lazio and secure one point in
the last Serie A game hosting Udinese.
- Probable lineups SSC Napoli (4-2-3-1): Reina, Maggio, Fernandez, Albiol, Armero, Behrami, Inler, Callejon, Pandev, Insigne, Higuain.
Arsenal are
now sitting three points clear at the top of the table of Group F. In
order to reach the place among the last-16 sides of UEFA Champions
League must avoid a 3 goal defeat from the home team. Such a defeat
would mean that Arsene Wenger and his men have to wait for the final
scoreline in Marseille. Draw will also enable the Gunners to enter for
the 11th time in a row the knockout stage of the Champions
League. In front of the Wenger’s men there is a hard time – upcoming
game against in Italy, and then matched against Manchester City and
Chelsea – their title rivals. Arsenal are the leader of the table with
five points ahead of second Liverpool and third Chelsea. Arsenal’s
supporters would be in even better moods, if only their team had taken
the full advantage of City’s draw and Chelsea’s defeat in the last
matchday of the English Premier League when they held only a draw
against Everton. The injured are still Bacary Sagna and Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain. The German international Lukas Podolski has returned
to the full training but his presence in the squad is still a doubt.
The manager Arsene Wenger may rotate the squad giving Ramsey and
Wilshere some rest before City game.
- Probable lineups Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Szczesny, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Ramsey, Rosicky, Ozil, Walcott, Giroud.
