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How Napoli could line up against Eintracht Frankfurt

sportsmole.co.uk, 19 February 2023, 12:20
Undisputed stars of the group stage, Napoli return to the Champions League's knockout rounds for the first time in three years on Tuesday, when they play last season's Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the last 16.

The Serie A leaders and clear favourites to end a long Scudetto drought travel to Germany with an almost full squad available, as initial concerns about the fitness of star striker Victor Osimhen - who limped off late on in Friday's win at Sassuolo after scoring the Azzurri's second goal - have since been allayed.

Italy's Capocannoniere leader has now scored in seven successive Serie A matches and will feature up front in Frankfurt. However, one of the top performers in Napoli's scintillating Group A campaign, Giacomo Raspadori, must miss out due to a thigh injury suffered in training.

Hirving Lozano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are likely to start in support of Osimhen, and the latter was directly involved in five goals during the group stage. On Friday, 'Kvara-dona' became the first player to register 10 goals and 10 assists during his debut season in one of Europe's top five leagues since Diego with Werder Bremen in 2006-07.

While Piotr Zielinski was restricted to a cameo from the bench in Sassuolo, his record of three goals and two assists in the Champions League this season mean he should return to the visitors' midfield in place of Eljif Elmas.

Luciano Spalletti's main selection dilemmas relate to choosing between Mario Rui and Mathias Olivera at left-back, and picking either Lozano or Matteo Politano on the right wing.

Meanwhile, among the substitutes, Tanguy Ndombele and Osimhen's deputy Giovanni Simeone are perhaps the men most likely to make an impact from the bench.

Napoli possible starting lineup: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Kim, Rrahmani, Rui; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Lozano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia

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