Serie A Round 15 Preview: Napoli aims to cap off excellent week against Novara

The games are coming thick and fast on the peninsula, as the weekend sees Udinese looking to brush aside Chievo to move top, while Serse Cosmi makes his Lecce debut against Lazio

Dec 9, 2011 6:45:00 AM

By Livio Caferoglu

More On :  AS Roma, Atalanta, Bologna, Cagliari, Catania, Cesena, Chievo, Fiorentina, Genoa, Inter, Juventus, Lazio, Lecce, Milan, Napoli, Novara, Palermo, Parma, Siena, Udinese
Napoli celebrating (Getty Images)
Getty Images


Serie A: Round 15 Preview


Saturday DECEMBER 10
 KO Sunday DECEMBER 11
 KO
Siena - Genoa
 12.00
 Udinese - Chievo
 09.00
Lecce - Lazio
 12.00
 Cagliari - Parma
 09.00
Palermo - Cesena
 16.00
 Bologna - AC Milan
 09.00
Inter - Fiorentina
 16.00
 Atalanta - Catania
 09.00


Novara - Napoli
 14.45


Monday DECEMBER 12
 KO
all times in ET
Roma - Juventus
 14.45

Siena
 v Genoa
PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Brkic
Vitiello, Rossettini, Terzi, Del Grosso
Mannini, D'Agostino, Gazzi, Brienza
Calaio, Destro
  

Frey
Mesto, Dainelli, Granqvist, Moretti
Rossi, Veloso, Constant
Merkel
Palacio, Jankovic
TEAM NEWS
  • Siena is likely to make just two changes, as Franco Brienza and Mattia Destro should come in for Angelo and Marcelo Larrondo.
  • Simone Vergassola and Nicola Belmonte are on the treatment table, however, and cannot feature.
  
  • Two alterations are also in the offing for Genoa, as the suspended Kakha Kaladze and Lucas Pratto are dropped in favour of Alexander Merkel and Rodrigo Palacio.
  • However, Valter Birsa, Juraj Kucka and Luca Antonelli face several weeks out, while Cesare Bovo needs a late fitness test.

Lecce
Lazio
PROBABLE LINE-UPS


Benassi
Oddo, Tomovic, Esposito, Mesbah
Obodo
Cuadrado, Giacomazzi, Bertolacci
Muriel, Di Michele



Marchetti
Konko, Biava, Stankevicius, Radu
Gonzalez, Ledesma, Lulic
Hernanes
Klose, Cisse
TEAM NEWS
  • New coach Serse Cosmi looks to switch to a 4-1-3-2 formation in his first game, as Stefano Ferrario, Cristian Pasquato, Carlos Grossmuller and the suspended Rodney Strasser are set to be replaced by Juan Cuadrado, Guillermo Giacomazzi, Andrea Bertolacci and David Di Michele
  • However, there isn't such luck for Edward Ofere and Moris Carrozzieri, who both face further spells on the treatment table.
  
  • One change should see Marius Stankevicius replace Mordibo Diakhite in defence.
  • A mounting injury list sees Cristian Brocchi, Simone Del Nero, Stefano Mauri, Javier Garrido, Albano Bizzarri, Andre Dias, Libor Kozak, Stephen Makinwa and Matuzalem remain out of contention.
 
Palermo
 v Cesena
PROBABLE LINE-UPS


Benussi
Pisano, Silvestre, Munoz, Balzaretti
Acquah, Bacinovic, Barreto
Ilicic
Pinilla, Miccoli

  


Ravaglia
Rossi, Benalouane, Von Bergen, Lauro
Ceccarelli, Guana, Parolo, Martinho
Bogdani, Mutu
TEAM NEWS
  • Devis Mangia should make two changes from the XI that drew at Parma, as the banned Giulio Migliaccio and Ignacio Lopes are set to be replaced by Ezequiel Munoz and Fabrizio Miccoli.
  • Eran Zahavi, Igor Budan and Abel Hernandez are still injured, and they are joined by Andrea Mantovani.
  
  • Three changes are likely to see Guillermo Rodriguez and Abdelkader Ghezzal dropped for Yohan Benalouane and Luca Ceccarelli, while Nicola Ravaglia replaces the suspended Francesco Antonioli.
  • Daniele Arrigoni will be without Gianluca Comotto, Jorge Martinez and Giuseppe Colucci due to injury.


Inter
 v Fiorentina

                                                                               
The beleaguered Nerazzurri will be desperate for a win when the Viola, who remain undefeated under new coach Delio Rossi, pay a visit to San Siro on Saturday evening.

Udinese
 v Chievo

PROBABLE LINE-UPS


Handanovic
Benatia, Danilo, Neuton
Basta, Isla, Badu, Asamoah, Armero
Floro Flores
Di Natale

Sorrentino
Frey, Cesar, Andreolli, Jokic
Luciano, Hetemaj, Bradley
Sammarco
Pellissier, Thereau
TEAM NEWS
  • A handful of changes by Francesco Guidolin sees suspended pair Damiano Ferronetti and Giampiero Pinzi and winger Gabriel Torje replaced by Neuton, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and Antonio Flores Flores.
  • However, Andrea Coda, Paulo Barreto and Almen Albdi need late fitness tests, while Maurizio Domizzi is out for a week.
  
  • Bojan Jokic, Perparim Hetemaj and Davide Moscardelli should come back in for Boukary Drame, Kamil Vacek and Cyril Thereau.
  • Luca Rigoni is Chievo's only injury doubt prior to the match at the Friuli on Sunday.

Cagliari
Parma

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Agazzi
Pisano, Canini, Ariaudo, Agostini
Biondini, Conti, Ekdal
Cossu
Larrivey, Ibarbo




Mirante
Zaccardo, Paletta, Lucarelli, Rubin
Biabiany, Galloppa, Morrone, Modesto
Giovinco
Pelle
TEAM NEWS
  • The return of Radja Nainggolan from his one-match ban should see him slot into the place of Albin Ekdal to form Cagliari's only alteration.
  • Moestafa El Kabir is nearing his injury comeback, but there is no such news for trio Davide Astori, Nene and Sebastian Eriksson, who won't be back until after the new year.
  
  • Francesco Modesto looks to have won the place at left midfield over Francesco Valiani, as Parma should make just the single change.
  • However, Jaime Valdes, Manuele Blasi and Gonzalo Brandao are all out of contention for the trip to Sardinia.

Bologna
 v AC Milan

                                                                                                
Massimiliano Allegri's men look to bounce back from their disappointing midweek draw to Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League with three important points in Emilia-Romagna on Sunday.

Atalanta
 v Catania

PROBABLE LINE-UPS


Consigli
Raimondi, Masiello, Manfredini, Bellini
Schelotto, Cigarini, Carmona, Padoin
Moralez
Denis

Andujar
Bellusci, Legrottaglie, Spolli, Marchese
Almiron, Lodi, Delvecchio
Gomez, Maxi Lopez, Bergessio
TEAM NEWS
  • Three alterations should see Cristian Raimondi, Gianfranco Bellini and Ezequiel Schelotto come into the fold, with the suspended Stefano Lucchini, the injured Federico Peluso and Giacomo Bonaventura the sacrificial lambs.
  • Defender Daniele Capelli remains out for the season, while Cristiano Doni is banned until 2015.
  
  • Coach Vincenzo Montella is set to switch to a 4-3-3 formation, as Pablo Alvarez and the injured Marco Biagianti make way for Gennaro Delvecchio and Maxi Lopez.
  • David Suazo and Mariano Izco complete Catania's list of injury victims.

Novara
 v Napoli

PROBABLE LINE-UPS


Ujkani
Morganella, Paci, Centurioni Gemiti
Marianini, Radovanovic, Rigoni
Mazzarani
Morimoto, Rubino

De Sanctis
Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Aronica
Maggio, Gargano, Inler, Dossena
Hamsik, Lavezzi
Cavani
TEAM NEWS
  • Massimo Paci and Takayuki Morimoto have both been given the green light to start against Napoli, while Francesco Marianini should also come into the side, with Carlalberto Ludi, Filippo Porcari and Pablo Granoche making way.
  • Andrea Lisuzzo will not make a comeback until January, while Riccardo Meggiorini is suspended.
  
  • Only one change from the emphatic midweek win at Villarreal in the Champions League should see Andrea Dossena preferred to Juan Zuniga at left midfield.
  • Marco Donadel remains Napoli's only injury victim, with around another two weeks of recovery left.

Roma
 v Juventus

                                                                           
Luis Enrique is under pressure to deliver the goods in the capital after a rocky start to life at the Olimpico, but he has a golden opportunity to make amends against the unbeaten Old Lady.

Follow Goal.com on Twitter

Follow Goal.com on Facebook
 
play pause open close
Inside Goal.Com
  1. RIGG: Anelka struggling against the current in Shanghai RIGG: Anelka struggling against the current in Shanghai

    Nicolas Anelka went against the grain when he moved to Shanghai. Now he's finding that coaching and gelling tactically is like swimming against the tide.

  2. ROGERS: Bradley should command a bidding war among Serie A teams ROGERS: Bradley should command a bidding war among Serie A teams

    Chievo is currently shopping the American midfielder and several Italian clubs have shown interest.

  3. ISOLA: Neymar-led Brazil should be considered the 2014 WC favorite ISOLA: Neymar-led Brazil should be considered the 2014 WC favorite

    Neymar was brilliant as Brazil easily handled the United States with early World Cup preparations officially underway.

  4. LATHAM: Mexico using summer friendlies to build depth LATHAM: Mexico using summer friendlies to build depth

    With World Cup qualifying to begin in June, Mexico is using three U.S.-hosted friendlies to build squad depth.

  5. McCARTHY: Harrisburg springs its wildest Open Cup upset to date McCARTHY: Harrisburg springs its wildest Open Cup upset to date

    The City Islanders fought back from three goals down with nine minutes to play and won the game on penalty kicks in a stunning game on a wild night for the U.S. Open Cup.