Inter Milan thumped Napoli 3-0 on Sunday to propel themselves into first place in the Serie A standings. Although the final scoreline doesn’t tell the full story, with Napoli providing the visitors with a stern challenge throughout the game, Inter was more opportunistic in front of goal, with Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella, and Marcus Thuram all finding the net.

“Coming to Naples you have to expect some difficulties,” Inter manager Simone Inzaghi explained after the match. “We had prepared in a certain way to push our wing-backs against their full-backs because the further away you keep Napoli from the penalty area the better. Winning like this in Naples is satisfying, but we also know it is only Week 14 and there is a very long way to go.”

This victory sees Inter lead the Serie A table with 35 points. Second-placed Juventus trail them by just two points, while Napoli have slumped to fifth spot with 24 points, trailing the league leaders by 11 points.

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Chelsea has become the latest club to take an interest in Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, sources revealed on Wednesday. The Premier League club has joined the likes of Barcelona, Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Real Madrid in monitoring the player’s development.

The Blues’ interest in the 22-year-old comes as a result of their transfer strategy which involves pursuing young players who they believe exhibit a major potential for growth. Last season, Kvaratskhelia scored 14 goals and made 17 assists in 43 matches as Napoli won their first Serie A title in 32 years.

While Napoli value Kvaratskhelia at a staggering €100 million, the Italian club is reportedly unwilling to part ways with the Georgian. Kvaratskhelia has a contract with Napoli until 2027, with the club currently in talks with the player over a new, extended deal under improved terms.

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Ex-Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is enjoying his time away from soccer. And he isn’t planning to quit it short in order to take over reigning Seria A champions Napoli.

Napoli has been playing poorly so far in 2023-24, finding themselves in fifth place with four wins and 14 points in eight games. After title-winning manager Luciano Spalletti stepped away in the summer, the Italian club hired Rudi Garcia as his replacement, but it is turning out to be an underwhelming choice.

According to reports from Italian media outlets, Napoli is currently exploring options to replace Garcia and has Conte as their primary target. But the four-time Seria A-winning manager has rejected the rumors in a recent Instagram story, saying that he isn’t ready to return to coaching.

“I persistently hear market rumors that link me to important clubs, but I reiterate that for the time being, my wish is to stay put and enjoy my family,” Conte stated.

Antonio Conte has been unemployed since March when he left Tottenham in a controversial fashion. He previously coached Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Juventus, among other clubs, while also being at the helm of the Italian national team.

Conte’s managerial resume includes three Serie A titles with Juventus, one Seria A title with Inter, and one Premier League title with Chelsea. 

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On Sunday afternoon, Juventus’ players casually walked on the field of their Allianz Stadium and started the pre-game warmups for their scheduled Seria A match that day. However, there was a slight issue. They didn’t have anyone to play, as their opponents Napoli failed to show up.

Instead of Allianz Stadium, Napoli players were hundreds of miles away in quarantine and with a travel ban on their hands. Italian authorities didn’t allow the team to travel after midfielders Piotr Zielinski and Eljif Elmas tested positive for coronavirus.

Napoli received the notice earlier on Sunday and immediately reached out to Seria A for match postponement. After being rejected by the league, the team then contacted Juventus. The Turin club, badly needing points after a weak start of the season, refused to show compassion.

Reportedly, Seria A will now side with Juve and award the team a 3-0 win while Napoli will have one point deducted for failure to show up.

“De Laurentiis (Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis) sent me a message asking for the game to be postponed and I replied that, as always, Juventus will follow the rules,” said Juve’s president Andrea Agnelli said. “If we don’t, we are failing as citizens rather than sportsmen.”

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Napoli, an underdog heading into their Coppa Italia final clash against Juventus, managed to bring home a dramatic victory after a penalty shootout that saw them take down the giants of Italian soccer.

Napoli won their first Italian cup and their first trophy since 2014 thanks to their 4-2 shootout win over Juventus. Neither team was able to score in regulation or extra time, but Gennaro Gattuso’s side coolly dispatched of the club that won four straight cups from 2015 to 2018.

The game was back-and-forth throughout regulation, with Juventus goalie Gianluigi Buffon making a number of saves to deny what could have been a series of game-winners for Napoli.

Cristiano Ronaldo almost got Juventus on top early himself, but Napoli keeper Alex Meret denied his team a 1-0 lead.

In penalties, Juventus got into a big hole early after Paulo Dybala’s shot was saved by Meret and Danilo sent his shot high. Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne and Matteo Politano converted, giving them a 4-2 lead.

While Juventus made its next two shots, Napoli continued to convert and clinched the shootout victory after Arkadiusz Milik coolly slotted a shot past Buffon to take home the crown.

With their victory, Napoli is guaranteed a spot in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League.

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FC Barcelona took a somewhat disappointing 1-1 home on Tuesday against Napoli in the first leg of the Round of 16 Champions League matchup against the Italian side.

After the game, midfielder Sergio Busquets didn’t hold back in criticizing the planning of the team that has led Barcelona to be short on impact players during the second half of the season.

In addition to Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez, who are expected to miss the rest of the season, Barcelona went into the game missing recent signing Martin Braithwaite (who is ineligible to play in the Champions League this season), as well as full-backs Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba, who were suspended for the game.

Barcelona only has 20 first-team players this season, meaning that four of the spots on the bench for last night’s game against Napoli were covered by B-team players.

For the second leg matchup against Napoli, Barcelona will recover Alba and Roberto, but will be without Arturo Vidal and Busquets after being booked on Tuesday.

Busquets made it clear that Barcelona’s sporting directors hold some blame for the shallow squad after the game, saying “We don’t have a deep squad because, unfortunately, that’s how it was planned.”

Barcelona must now hope that they have enough depth to get past Napoli in the second leg and advance to the quarter-finals of the competition.

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The Champions League Round of 16 matchups are just around the corner. The first legs of this knockout round will start up next week with some high-profile games.

Let’s take a look at the pairings for this year’s edition of the Round of 16 and predict a winner for each one.

Atletico Madrid vs. Liverpool

The reigning champions of the tournament certainly didn’t get an easy draw here, as Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are always up for a good battle.

However, with Los Colchoneros floundering without Diego Costa and Joao Felix and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool dominating any team that happens to wind up in front of them throughout this entire season, we think Liverpool will move on.

Pick: Liverpool

Borussia Dortmund vs. Paris Saint-Germain

One of the most promising Round of 16 matchups comes between Borussia Dortmund and PSG, two teams full of young stars.

Borussia Dortmund could end up escaping through if Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho give them an edge after the matchup’s first leg in Germany, but I ultimately think that the combination of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, who has never played as well as he is now, will be too much for the Dortmund defense.

Pick: PSG

Atalanta vs. Valencia

Who would have ever expected a Round of 16 tie between these two teams?

Valencia, who shocked many by winning their group in the group stage of the tournament, got a favorable draw against Atalanta in the first knockout round. Los Che have been inconsistent under Albert Celades, but we think that their quality is a bit too much for Atalanta to handle.

Pick: Valencia

Tottenham Hotspur vs. RB Leipzig

Perhaps the biggest “pick ’em” of the Round of 16 is this clash between last year’s finalists in Tottenham against RB Leipzig.

The German side might surprise many who aren’t familiar with their quality. Dani Olmo and Timo Werner will have a big chance to shine on a world stage in this tie, and we think that they will pull off the upset against a disheveled Spurs side.

Pick: RB Leipzig

Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich

Two European giants meet up in this juicy Round of 16 matchup, as Bayern will look to solidify its status as one of the tournament favorites.

Chelsea barely escaped from the group stage, and the uber-talented German champions will be out for blood. While Frank Lampard’s tenure at the Blues might be off to a promising start, we think that Bayern’s quality and experience are too much for them to handle.

Pick: Bayern Munich

Napoli vs. FC Barcelona

Barcelona meets up against Napoli in this Round of 16 matchup with some genuine upset potential.

The Catalans are still getting used to playing under new manager Quique Setien, but have shown signs of improvement lately. Leo Messi is still Leo Messi, and we think that they will move on to the next round with the help of a little bit of magic from the diminutive Argentinian.

Pick: Barcelona

Olympique Lyon vs. Juventus

After last year’s disappointing early exit at the hands of upstart Ajax, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus will look to avoid another upset at the hands of Lyon.

The Old Lady has one of world soccer’s best collections of talent, and it seems inevitable that they will cruise past their Ligue 1 opposition. Could a huge upset be in the cards, though? We doubt it.

Pick: Juventus

Real Madrid vs. Manchester City

Arguably the most intriguing Round of 16 matchup is this one between Champions League giants Real Madrid and Manchester City, the team that has been chasing this title for the better part of the past decade.

Zinedine Zidane’s Blancos got off to a slow start this season, but have taken flight over the past couple of months. Leading La Liga and getting outstanding performances from Karim Benzema and the ageless Sergio Ramos, we think that they will pull off the upset against Pep Guardiola’s Man City, which isn’t the squad it once was.

Pick: Real Madrid

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The quarter-finals of this year’s edition of the UEFA Europa League couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for Arsenal.

They dominated the first leg of their tie with Napoli on Thursday night, winning the match by a 2-0 final score.

Their home win at Emirates Stadium gives them a strong advantage going into the second leg of the draw in Italy next Thursday.

Coach Unai Emery and Arsenal have been inconsistent and sometimes frustrating throughout the 2018-19 campaign, but their win on Thursday was reminiscent of some of the glorious nights that they’ve experienced in the past in European competitions.

Napoli didn’t have an answer for Arsenal’s attack nor its strong defense, and now must climb out of a big hole if they are to advance past this round.

Arsenal came out and took an early lead in the 15th minute of the match. Aaron Ramsey was given a pass by Ainsley Maitland-Niles and the Gunners midfielder gave his team an early 1-0 lead.

It didn’t take long for Arsenal to score its second goal and double its advantage after that.

Lucas Torreira curled himself through the Napoli defense and took a shot that ricocheted off of Kalidou Koulibaly and into the net.

This gave the Gunners a 2-0 edge that they wouldn’t relinquish.

Arsenal closed out their win to thunderous cheers and applause by the home crowd.

They’ll now look to seal the deal in Italy next weekend.

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Inter Milan thumped Napoli 3-0 on Sunday to propel themselves into first place in the Serie A standings. Although the final scoreline doesn’t tell the full story, with Napoli providing the visitors with a stern challenge throughout the game, Inter was more opportunistic in front of goal, with Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella, and Marcus Thuram all finding the net.

“Coming to Naples you have to expect some difficulties,” Inter manager Simone Inzaghi explained after the match. “We had prepared in a certain way to push our wing-backs against their full-backs because the further away you keep Napoli from the penalty area the better. Winning like this in Naples is satisfying, but we also know it is only Week 14 and there is a very long way to go.”

This victory sees Inter lead the Serie A table with 35 points. Second-placed Juventus trail them by just two points, while Napoli have slumped to fifth spot with 24 points, trailing the league leaders by 11 points.

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Chelsea has become the latest club to take an interest in Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, sources revealed on Wednesday. The Premier League club has joined the likes of Barcelona, Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Real Madrid in monitoring the player’s development.

The Blues’ interest in the 22-year-old comes as a result of their transfer strategy which involves pursuing young players who they believe exhibit a major potential for growth. Last season, Kvaratskhelia scored 14 goals and made 17 assists in 43 matches as Napoli won their first Serie A title in 32 years.

While Napoli value Kvaratskhelia at a staggering €100 million, the Italian club is reportedly unwilling to part ways with the Georgian. Kvaratskhelia has a contract with Napoli until 2027, with the club currently in talks with the player over a new, extended deal under improved terms.

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Ex-Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is enjoying his time away from soccer. And he isn’t planning to quit it short in order to take over reigning Seria A champions Napoli.

Napoli has been playing poorly so far in 2023-24, finding themselves in fifth place with four wins and 14 points in eight games. After title-winning manager Luciano Spalletti stepped away in the summer, the Italian club hired Rudi Garcia as his replacement, but it is turning out to be an underwhelming choice.

According to reports from Italian media outlets, Napoli is currently exploring options to replace Garcia and has Conte as their primary target. But the four-time Seria A-winning manager has rejected the rumors in a recent Instagram story, saying that he isn’t ready to return to coaching.

“I persistently hear market rumors that link me to important clubs, but I reiterate that for the time being, my wish is to stay put and enjoy my family,” Conte stated.

Antonio Conte has been unemployed since March when he left Tottenham in a controversial fashion. He previously coached Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Juventus, among other clubs, while also being at the helm of the Italian national team.

Conte’s managerial resume includes three Serie A titles with Juventus, one Seria A title with Inter, and one Premier League title with Chelsea. 

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On Sunday afternoon, Juventus’ players casually walked on the field of their Allianz Stadium and started the pre-game warmups for their scheduled Seria A match that day. However, there was a slight issue. They didn’t have anyone to play, as their opponents Napoli failed to show up.

Instead of Allianz Stadium, Napoli players were hundreds of miles away in quarantine and with a travel ban on their hands. Italian authorities didn’t allow the team to travel after midfielders Piotr Zielinski and Eljif Elmas tested positive for coronavirus.

Napoli received the notice earlier on Sunday and immediately reached out to Seria A for match postponement. After being rejected by the league, the team then contacted Juventus. The Turin club, badly needing points after a weak start of the season, refused to show compassion.

Reportedly, Seria A will now side with Juve and award the team a 3-0 win while Napoli will have one point deducted for failure to show up.

“De Laurentiis (Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis) sent me a message asking for the game to be postponed and I replied that, as always, Juventus will follow the rules,” said Juve’s president Andrea Agnelli said. “If we don’t, we are failing as citizens rather than sportsmen.”

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Napoli, an underdog heading into their Coppa Italia final clash against Juventus, managed to bring home a dramatic victory after a penalty shootout that saw them take down the giants of Italian soccer.

Napoli won their first Italian cup and their first trophy since 2014 thanks to their 4-2 shootout win over Juventus. Neither team was able to score in regulation or extra time, but Gennaro Gattuso’s side coolly dispatched of the club that won four straight cups from 2015 to 2018.

The game was back-and-forth throughout regulation, with Juventus goalie Gianluigi Buffon making a number of saves to deny what could have been a series of game-winners for Napoli.

Cristiano Ronaldo almost got Juventus on top early himself, but Napoli keeper Alex Meret denied his team a 1-0 lead.

In penalties, Juventus got into a big hole early after Paulo Dybala’s shot was saved by Meret and Danilo sent his shot high. Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne and Matteo Politano converted, giving them a 4-2 lead.

While Juventus made its next two shots, Napoli continued to convert and clinched the shootout victory after Arkadiusz Milik coolly slotted a shot past Buffon to take home the crown.

With their victory, Napoli is guaranteed a spot in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League.

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FC Barcelona took a somewhat disappointing 1-1 home on Tuesday against Napoli in the first leg of the Round of 16 Champions League matchup against the Italian side.

After the game, midfielder Sergio Busquets didn’t hold back in criticizing the planning of the team that has led Barcelona to be short on impact players during the second half of the season.

In addition to Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez, who are expected to miss the rest of the season, Barcelona went into the game missing recent signing Martin Braithwaite (who is ineligible to play in the Champions League this season), as well as full-backs Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba, who were suspended for the game.

Barcelona only has 20 first-team players this season, meaning that four of the spots on the bench for last night’s game against Napoli were covered by B-team players.

For the second leg matchup against Napoli, Barcelona will recover Alba and Roberto, but will be without Arturo Vidal and Busquets after being booked on Tuesday.

Busquets made it clear that Barcelona’s sporting directors hold some blame for the shallow squad after the game, saying “We don’t have a deep squad because, unfortunately, that’s how it was planned.”

Barcelona must now hope that they have enough depth to get past Napoli in the second leg and advance to the quarter-finals of the competition.

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The Champions League Round of 16 matchups are just around the corner. The first legs of this knockout round will start up next week with some high-profile games.

Let’s take a look at the pairings for this year’s edition of the Round of 16 and predict a winner for each one.

Atletico Madrid vs. Liverpool

The reigning champions of the tournament certainly didn’t get an easy draw here, as Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are always up for a good battle.

However, with Los Colchoneros floundering without Diego Costa and Joao Felix and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool dominating any team that happens to wind up in front of them throughout this entire season, we think Liverpool will move on.

Pick: Liverpool

Borussia Dortmund vs. Paris Saint-Germain

One of the most promising Round of 16 matchups comes between Borussia Dortmund and PSG, two teams full of young stars.

Borussia Dortmund could end up escaping through if Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho give them an edge after the matchup’s first leg in Germany, but I ultimately think that the combination of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, who has never played as well as he is now, will be too much for the Dortmund defense.

Pick: PSG

Atalanta vs. Valencia

Who would have ever expected a Round of 16 tie between these two teams?

Valencia, who shocked many by winning their group in the group stage of the tournament, got a favorable draw against Atalanta in the first knockout round. Los Che have been inconsistent under Albert Celades, but we think that their quality is a bit too much for Atalanta to handle.

Pick: Valencia

Tottenham Hotspur vs. RB Leipzig

Perhaps the biggest “pick ’em” of the Round of 16 is this clash between last year’s finalists in Tottenham against RB Leipzig.

The German side might surprise many who aren’t familiar with their quality. Dani Olmo and Timo Werner will have a big chance to shine on a world stage in this tie, and we think that they will pull off the upset against a disheveled Spurs side.

Pick: RB Leipzig

Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich

Two European giants meet up in this juicy Round of 16 matchup, as Bayern will look to solidify its status as one of the tournament favorites.

Chelsea barely escaped from the group stage, and the uber-talented German champions will be out for blood. While Frank Lampard’s tenure at the Blues might be off to a promising start, we think that Bayern’s quality and experience are too much for them to handle.

Pick: Bayern Munich

Napoli vs. FC Barcelona

Barcelona meets up against Napoli in this Round of 16 matchup with some genuine upset potential.

The Catalans are still getting used to playing under new manager Quique Setien, but have shown signs of improvement lately. Leo Messi is still Leo Messi, and we think that they will move on to the next round with the help of a little bit of magic from the diminutive Argentinian.

Pick: Barcelona

Olympique Lyon vs. Juventus

After last year’s disappointing early exit at the hands of upstart Ajax, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus will look to avoid another upset at the hands of Lyon.

The Old Lady has one of world soccer’s best collections of talent, and it seems inevitable that they will cruise past their Ligue 1 opposition. Could a huge upset be in the cards, though? We doubt it.

Pick: Juventus

Real Madrid vs. Manchester City

Arguably the most intriguing Round of 16 matchup is this one between Champions League giants Real Madrid and Manchester City, the team that has been chasing this title for the better part of the past decade.

Zinedine Zidane’s Blancos got off to a slow start this season, but have taken flight over the past couple of months. Leading La Liga and getting outstanding performances from Karim Benzema and the ageless Sergio Ramos, we think that they will pull off the upset against Pep Guardiola’s Man City, which isn’t the squad it once was.

Pick: Real Madrid

The post Predicting the Champions League Round of 16 Matchups appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The quarter-finals of this year’s edition of the UEFA Europa League couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for Arsenal.

They dominated the first leg of their tie with Napoli on Thursday night, winning the match by a 2-0 final score.

Their home win at Emirates Stadium gives them a strong advantage going into the second leg of the draw in Italy next Thursday.

Coach Unai Emery and Arsenal have been inconsistent and sometimes frustrating throughout the 2018-19 campaign, but their win on Thursday was reminiscent of some of the glorious nights that they’ve experienced in the past in European competitions.

Napoli didn’t have an answer for Arsenal’s attack nor its strong defense, and now must climb out of a big hole if they are to advance past this round.

Arsenal came out and took an early lead in the 15th minute of the match. Aaron Ramsey was given a pass by Ainsley Maitland-Niles and the Gunners midfielder gave his team an early 1-0 lead.

It didn’t take long for Arsenal to score its second goal and double its advantage after that.

Lucas Torreira curled himself through the Napoli defense and took a shot that ricocheted off of Kalidou Koulibaly and into the net.

This gave the Gunners a 2-0 edge that they wouldn’t relinquish.

Arsenal closed out their win to thunderous cheers and applause by the home crowd.

They’ll now look to seal the deal in Italy next weekend.

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