Preview: Udinese vs Napoli - prediction, team news, lineups

Seeking a fourth consecutive Serie A win, reigning champions Napoli will visit mid-table Udinese on Sunday afternoon.

The Scudetto holders may be making a strong defence of their domestic crown, but their Champions League fate lies in the balance after a midweek defeat.

Match preview

Last week, Napoli conquered old foes Juventus to post five straight wins across all competitions, responding well to a change of formation and personnel brought about by several absences.

Rasmus Hojlund's first Serie A brace decided a heavyweight clash at Stadio Maradona, where the hosts completed an unbeaten calendar year by getting the better of former boss Luciano Spalletti.

Having just defeated his old club, Napoli's current coach Antonio Conte then faced fellow Chelsea alumnus Jose Mourinho on Wednesday evening, aiming to reverse a dire run of results on the road.

However, after limply losing 2-0 to Benfica in Lisbon, the Partenopei have lost their last five Champions League away games while conceding 17 goals - and they sit just above the elimination zone with two league-phase fixtures remaining.

Indeed, five of Napoli's seven Serie A defeats under Conte have come away from home, including all three in the current campaign, so they will now travel north to Udine intent on defying that trend.

History certainly suggests they can, as the Campanian club are unbeaten in 18 league meetings with Udinese, while winning 14.

Not only have Udinese failed to beat Napoli on home turf since 2015-16 - when Bruno Fernandes bagged a brace in their 3-1 win - they have also conceded an average of nearly two goals per game across the last 10 meetings.

Furthermore, the Fruilani come into this week's contest amid a worrying slump in form, which has seen them slip down the standings.

Following four losses in six games - conceding at least two goals in each defeat - Kosta Runjaic's side are marooned in mid-table.

Just days after exiting the Coppa Italia to Juventus, Monday's league match against Genoa offered a good chance to claim points, particularly after Jakub Piotrowski's first Serie A goal levelled matters and set up a grandstand finale.

However, Udinese then conceded their 13th second-half goal of the season - a league high, along with rock-bottom Fiorentina - and the ninth on home turf.

The Bianconeri's next visitors will be keen to exploit such a weakness, so Runjaic may opt to tweak his gameplan on Sunday.

Udinese Serie A form:

L W L L W L

Udinese form (all competitions):

W L L W L L

Napoli Serie A form:

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Napoli form (all competitions):

L W L D W L

Team News

With Belgian duo Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne out long-term, Napoli have turned to alternative sources to spark their Serie A revival: both Hojlund and David Neres have notched four goal involvements over the past three matchdays.

Meanwhile, Eljif Elmas has been pressed into an unfamiliar role in central midfield, with Billy Gilmour, Stanislav Lobotka and Frank Anguissa all unavailable - in addition to goalkeeper Alex Meret.

Now back in training, Lobotka and Spanish wing-back Miguel Gutierrez could make the bench this weekend, when Conte may be tempted to freshen up a team that looked jaded in Portugal.

Having lost last term's top scorer Lorenzo Lucca to Napoli in the summer, Udinese's attack should be led by Keinan Davis and Nicolo Zaniolo.

After limping out of last week's cup loss to Juve, French midfielder Arthur Atta has been ruled out with a thigh problem.

As wing-back Hassane Kamara is still a doubt, Rui Modesto may be asked to fill in on the hosts' left flank; Jordan Zemura sustained a flexor injury on Monday.

Udinese possible starting lineup:

Okoye; Bertola, Kabasele, Solet; Zanoli, Ekkelenkamp, Karlstrom, Piotrowski, Modesto; Zaniolo, Davis

Napoli possible starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Di Lorenzo, McTominay, Elmas, Spinazzola; Politano, Neres; Hojlund