Please don't screw this up. I am SO done with Napoli screwing matches like this up. Lazio are within striking distance. Win, and keep them within arm's reach. Lose, and, well, things don't looks great.
Don't. Screw. Up.
An End To Frustration
Cesena are already relegated, a bitter cap to a miserable season. They guaranteed their drop back to Serie B by winning only four matches all season, and none since March 1st. They've gone some long stretches without wins, and just plain aren't that good a side, despite having some high-potential players in the squad.
Of course, that makes them the perfect team to beat Napoli, because lately that's just what happens.
Cesena are missing one key player in Luigi Giorgi, who has played nearly 30 matches in his midfield workhorse role. Fortunately for Cesena boss Domenico Di Carlo, Cesena's one position with decent depth is midfield. They won't make life easy for Napoli, though the boys in blue should be able to overcome them. Should. Probably. Hopefully.
One Last Push
Napoli are, once more, in a must-win situation. If Napoli win, they stay within touching distance of Lazio, just three points behind. With Lazio having a derby match against Roma and the Coppa Italia final against Juve to contend with before their season-closing match against Napoli, that gives the partenopei a good chance of catching and passing them for a spot in the top three. If Napoli lose, though, they have to hope Lazio against Roma and then fall to Napoli, allowing the partenopei a chance to pass them on a tiebreaker -- if Napoli also beat Juventus next weekend in Turin, which is at best a huge if.
Please, please, please, please, please don't lose, Napoli.
They'll have to do it without Rafa Benitez on the bench, as he's suspended for the match after the post-match fiasco against Parma, and without Manolo Gabbiadini. Gonzalo Higuain is a doubt as well with a muscular issue, and between those injuries and the strength of opponent, Napoli are likely to rotate heavily for this match. Let's just hope it's not too heavily, though, because of that whole pesky don't $&!*ing lose thing.
Projected Lineups Sure To Be Wrong
Cesena: Agliardi; Perico, Capelli, Krajnc, Renzetti; Carbonero, Mudingayi, Cascione; Brienza; Djuric, Defrel
Napoli: Andujar; Mesto, Henrique, Britos, Strinic; Gargano, Jorginho; Callejon, Hamsik, Mertens; Zapata
At A Glance
Cesena: 19th; 4W 12D 19L; League Form: LLDLD
Napoli: 4th; 17W 9D 9L; League Form: DWLWW
Watch It
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. & Canada), Sky Calcio 1, Premium Calcio/HD (Italy), BT Sport 1 (U.K.)
Online: Fubo TV, beIN Sports Connect (U.S.), Sky Go Italia, Premium Play (Italy)
Other live viewing options can be found here, and as always, we'll have a match thread live here for discussion of the game at hand. You can also follow along with us live on Twitter, and we'll have updates of the most important events on our Facebook page, which you should definitely like.
