OPTA FOCUS – Napoli set to kick season off against Hellas Verona at the Bentegodi
The wait is over! 84 days after the 0-0 stalemate with Lecce on 26 May, Napoli are set to return to the pitch for the first matchday of the 2024/25 Serie A campaign. The curtain-raiser is set for Sunday 18 August, away to Hellas Verona, marking the fifth time that Napoli have faced Verona in the opening game after 1968, 1984, 2017 and 2022. The 63rd clash in Serie A between the Azzurri and the Verona will take place at the Bentegodi at 18:30 CEST. The record favours Napoli, not only in terms of results (34 wins compared to 13 for the home side, with 15 draws completing the picture), but also in terms of defensive and attacking numbers. On one hand, only against Inter (112) and Juventus (111) have Verona conceded more goals than against Napoli in the top flight (106, level with Milan). On the other hand, in terms of opponents faced at least 50 times in Serie A, only against Inter (42 in 66 matches) and Bologna (48 in 50 matches) have they scored fewer goals than against Napoli (51 in 62). Setting aside head-to-head encounters, it is interesting to see how the two teams fare in their season openers. After the 1-0 success over Empoli on 19 August 2023, the home side could win back-to-back opening fixtures for only the second time in Serie A, after the 1983/84 and 1984/85 seasons. For Napoli, however, securing three points in the first outing of the season seems to be a habit, at least in recent history. In the last ten seasons (since 2014/15), no team has won more opening matches than Napoli with eight, the same figure as Juventus.
Hellas Verona: starting out under new coach Paolo Zanetti
Both Hellas and Napoli are facing an initial test on Sunday at the Bentegodi, having changed head coaches over the summer and it will be interesting to see how and to what extent the pre-season schedule imposed by the new coaches has already made an impact. Hellas are off the back of their fifth consecutive season in the top flight (a feat they last achieved between 1982/83 and 1988/89 – seven seasons on that occasion), a statistic that attests to their character and tenacity, which were crucial in the fight against relegation in the second half of last campaign. Supporting these traits is one particular statistic: in the second half of the season, Verona averaged 1.26 points per game, after reaching the halfway stage with an average of 0.74 points. No other team increased their points average between the first and second halves of the last season more than side from Veneto: +0.53, tied with Empoli. The 2023/24 Serie A season was certainly challenging for the hosts, but two elements often proved to be significant strengths: goals from outside the box (ten for Verona, second only to Atalanta with 13) and aerial duels: Verona’s 763 aerial duels won set a record in 2023/24.
Hellas Verona rely on captain Lazovic
With the summer transfer window still wide open as the league campaign gets under way, Napoli’s defence will need to focus on Hellas Verona’s “dependables”. Coach Paolo Zanetti can count on some key players. First among them is captain Darko Lazovic, a true pillar of the club. Since making his Serie A debut for the club on 25 August 2019, he has been the Verona player with the most assists (27) and appearances (166 – excluding the relegation play-off against Spezia on 11 June 2023) in the top flight. Additionally, only Davide Faraoni (15), Giovanni Simeone (17), and Antonin Barak (18) have scored more goals than the Serbian in the competition during this period (14). The second name on Conte’s rearguard is Tomas Suslov, who arrived in Italy last season, but has already carved out a prominent role. In 2024, among players directly involved in more than five goals in Serie A, only Matias Soule (six – April 2003) is younger than the Slovakian (six – June 2002). He also led his team-mates in successful dribbles during the entirety of last season (38). The midfielder scored in his last two league appearances (against Salernitana and Inter back in May). Finally, attention should be given to a new signing by the name of Casper Tengstedt. The Dane, born in 2000 and on loan from Benfica, arrives with a decent track record. Among players in the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season who participated in more than five goals, only Marcos Leonardo (324) and Petar Musa (518) played fewer minutes than the Herning-born forward (664), who scored four goals and provided two assists in the last league season.
Original article by Opta’s editorial team
