Pressure on Allegri and Tedesco as Napoli Face Bologna

The calendar says it is only September. The mood around Napoli and Bologna says something very different.

Two coaches already feel the heat before a ball is kicked at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday evening, with Massimiliano Allegri and Domenico Tedesco both chasing a result that can steady early-season nerves. The game is free-to-air in the UK on the BBC, but there will be nothing soft-focus about the scrutiny.

Allegri under the spotlight

Allegri’s Napoli era started exactly how a new reign should: a controlled 2-0 away win at Genoa on the opening weekend of Serie A. Since then, the wheels have juddered.

Three straight defeats in all competitions – against Como, Inter and Arsenal – have dragged the Partenopei into early turbulence and left them sitting 12th in the table going into this round. The fixture list has been unforgiving, but the table does not care who you faced.

The Champions League loss to Arsenal in midweek brought more than just a dent to confidence. It also left Allegri with fresh problems.

Goalkeeper Alex Meret limped off and will not feature, so Vanja Milinkovic-Savic steps in between the posts. Alisson Santos, injured in the same game, is also ruled out.

Noa Lang, dropped for disciplinary reasons against the Premier League champions, is expected to be restored to the starting XI. Napoli need his edge. They also need calm, control and creativity – which is why Kevin De Bruyne remains central to Allegri’s plan.

With Scott McTominay sidelined until after the international break, De Bruyne should again operate as the heartbeat in midfield. Billy Gilmour is tipped to join him and Stanislav Lobotka in a three that, on paper, offers balance and guile. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has just returned to training and is targeting a comeback in the coming weeks, but this one is likely to come too soon for a major role. Youngster Antonio Vergara is also expected to see the pitch at some stage.

Up front, Rasmus Hojlund carries the responsibility of turning Napoli’s approach play into something more tangible. With Matteo Politano and Lang flanking him, Allegri has enough firepower. What he needs now is execution.

Tedesco’s first win still on hold

On the opposite bench, Tedesco will not even be on the touchline.

The Bologna coach is suspended for the next two rounds, adding another layer of complexity to a difficult start. His side are still hunting their first competitive win under his leadership, though last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Sassuolo finally put a point on the board and offered a flicker of momentum.

Bologna arrive in Naples sitting 16th. It is early, but the margins are already tight.

In attack, options are thin. With Artem Dovbyk out, Roberto Piccoli stands as the only available senior centre-forward. He scored against Sassuolo and will again be asked to lead the line, supported by a creative band of three in Federico Bernardeschi, Jens Odgaard and Nicolo Cambiaghi.

Nadir Zortea also misses out, trimming the Rossoblu squad further. Tedesco’s ideas will have to be relayed from the stands, his staff tasked with transmitting his instructions on the touchline in a stadium that rarely allows visiting teams to think clearly.

Team shapes and likely XIs

Allegri is expected to stick with a 4-3-3, trusting structure as the platform for a reaction:

Napoli (4-3-3): Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marin, Spinazzola; Gilmour, Lobotka, De Bruyne; Politano, Hojlund, Lang.

Bologna are set up in a 4-2-3-1, built on a double pivot and a narrow attacking trio behind Piccoli:

Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Holm, Heggem, Theate, Miranda; Ferguson, Pobega; Bernardeschi, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Piccoli.

Kick-off is at 17.00 BST in Naples, under the weight of expectation for both dugouts.

Where to watch

For viewers in the UK, the match will be shown live on BBC Alba and streamed via BBC iPlayer, and it is also available through DAZN. Fans in the USA can watch on Paramount+.

Two coaches, one early-season crossroads. By full-time, will this be a turning point or the start of something far more uncomfortable?