Catania 0 - 0 Napoli
Catania v Napoli: Preview
| Team Stat Comparison | ||
| Catania | Napoli | |
| Matches Played | 13 | 13 |
| Table Position | 19 | 9 |
| Points | 9 | 19 |
| Goal Difference | -7 | -1 |
| Goals for * | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| Goals against * | 1.2 | 1.9 |
| Last 5 | D-D-L-L-L | D-D-W-D-W |
| Last 5 home | D-L-W-D-D | D-D-W-W-D |
| Last 5 away | D-L-L-D-D | D-W-W-L-L |
| * Goals per match - home matches for home club and away matches for away club | ||
| · Club Stats: Catania | Napoli | ||
| Competition Stats | ||
| Catania | Napoli | |
| Goals |
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| · Club Squads : Catania | Napoli | ||
| Last Five Matches in Competition | |
| Catania | Napoli |
| A: Palermo 1-1 | H: Lazio 0-0 |
| H: Napoli 0-0 | A: Catania 0-0 |
| A: Fiorentina 3-1 | A: Juventus 2-3 |
| H: Chievo Verona 1-2 | H: AC Milan 2-2 |
| A: Internazionale 2-1 | A: Fiorentina 0-1 |
| · Club Results: Catania | Napoli | |
Updated: November 6, 2009, 12:11 PM UK
Napoli have high ambitions this season and this time they are determined not to let their fans down.They travel to Catania tomorrow keen to show why they are a team capable of qualifying for Champions League football next season.
Napoli fans were disappointed with their team's 12th-placed finish last term, which saw them miss out on European football.
Since the arrival of Walter Mazzarri to Naples earlier this season as a replacement to sacked coach Roberto Donadoni, things are looking up.
And a return to European competition is the top priority for Napoli club president Aurelio de Laurentiis.
"I think Napoli can finish in the top six positions in Serie A,'' said De Laurentiis.
"From now until May we know that we can achieve good results.
"We can build something important.''
Judging by their performances this season, their European ambitions could be realised.
Having won 1-0 at Fiorentina, they held AC Milan to a 2-2 draw before stunning Juventus 3-2 in Turin in the last round.
The outcome at Juve stretched their unbeaten run in Serie A to four games.
Mazzarri's side are sixth in the standings, two points behind AC Milan, who hold the last Champions League qualifying spot.
De Laurentiis believes his decision to appoint Mazzarri as Donadoni's replacement is paying off.
"I always believed in Mazzarri,'' said De Laurentiis.
"My decision to choose him was considered to be going against the trend as everyone told me that he was our third choice.
"But he is proving to have the right numbers to guide this big club.
"I already wanted him two years ago but we were unable to reach an agreement.''
Napoli will have an added motivation to claim their third victory on the road when they set foot on Sicilian soil.
They have never won at Catania in Italy's top flight but Mazzarri's men expect to make that happen this weekend.
More so considering that things are not looking good for rivals Catania.
The Rossoblu lost 3-1 at Fiorentina, their fourth defeat on the road this campaign, and the result put further pressure on under-fire coach Gianluca Atzori.
The Sicilian outfit are second from bottom, with only seven points collected in 11 games.
Catania defender Alessandro Potenza has come out in support of Atzori ahead of Sunday's game and hopes his side can turn things around, starting this weekend.
"I don4t want Atzori to pay for our failures,'' said Potenza.
"He doesn't deserve it.
"After all, is the players that go out on the pitch.
"We need to turn the page, put our defeats behind us and focus on taking a positive result against Napoli.''
It will be no easy task for the hosts as Atzori will have to make wholesale changes to the team that lost at Fiorentina.
The hosts are without suspended defenders Matias Silvestre and Ciro Capuano and have six players sidelined through injury.
The visitors welcome back midfielder Christian Maggio, who has recovered from the flu.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
| Catania | 0 | |
| Napoli | 0 | FT |
| Atalanta | 2 | |
| Juventus | 5 | FT |