Tied with Benfica atop Group B in UEFA Champions League, Napoli look to gain solo lead and secure a ticket to the knockout stages of the tournament as they take on the Aguias this Wednesday.
Both Napoli and Benfica have eight points with Besiktas close behind them with seven, but even a tie will be enough for Napoli to get into the next phase of the competition.
Napoli is riding a wave of confidence following their 3-0 thrashing of Inter in Serie A competition, extending the club’s unbeaten streak to six games.
Scoring goals hasn’t been an easy task for Napoli, especially with Arkadiusz Milik out for a long time with a knee injury, but Jose Callejon is doing a fine job of carrying much of the offensive burden for the club, having scored seven times in the domestic league. He has yet to find the back of the net in the Champions League. Winger Dries Mertens, meanwhile, will make a return to the pitch after serving a domestic suspension last Friday.
Benfica eye a return to the win column after seeing their eight-match unbeaten streak spoiled by Maritimo in a 2-1 loss in the Portuguese Primeira Liga on Friday.
Despite the loss, Benfica’s form heading into the showdown with Napoli is undeniably solid. They have emerged victorious in eight of their last 12 matches, drawing in the other four.
Moreover, Benfica have been solid as a rock at home. The club hasn’t lost at Lisbon all season with its most recent competitive home loss going way back in February.
Benfica’s offense is completely dialed in when they’re at home also, as evidenced by the fact that they’ve scored 17 goals in their last five home matches. You can say the same thing about their defense, which has conceded just one goal during that torrid stretch.
Regardless of location, Benfica have put up an average of 2.4 goals per game over their last 10 matches.
