Qualifying for the Champions League was a fairytale for Union Berlin, but they have had a nightmare start to the new season and host Serie A champions Napoli having lost their last eight games.
The home team are 15th in the Bundesliga and have conceded injury-time winners in both of their Champions League games this season, while they have failed to score in five of the eight games they have lost since a 4-1 win at Darmstadt in late August.
Napoli have been inconsistent in the season to date, but did claim a 3-1 league win at Hellas Verona last time out.
Union Berlin vs Napoli Tips
Match Odds
Napoli can be backed at 9/10 for the victory, while Union Berlin are 5/2 outsiders, the draw is available at 12/5.
With the hosts having struggled to keep clean sheets during their lengthy losing run it may prove worthwhile backing Napoli at 5/6 to score over 1.5 goals, while both teams to score is available at 4/6.
Team News
Union Berlin have a considerable injury list, they will be missing Josip Juranovic, Alexander Schwolow, Andras Schafer, Laurenz Dehl and Jerome Roussillon for this clash.
However, Rani Khedira, Robin Knoche and Alex Kral returned for their loss against Stuttgart in the weekend and will feature again.
The big team news for Napoli is that star striker Victor Osimhen remains sidelined with a thigh issue, joining Andre-Frank Anguissa and Juan Jesus in the treatment room.
Napoli to win & over 2.5 goals @ 15/8
Union Berlin’s form makes them difficult to fancy in this clash, losing eight games in a row is bad enough before considering that their opponents are the reigning Serie A champions.
Conceding late goals against Real Madrid and Braga is symptomatic of the issues that they face and they put in another insipid performance at the weekend, losing 3-0 to Stuttgart.
Napoli have not quite been at their imperious best from last season but beat Braga 2-1 in their first European game before being edged 3-2 by Real Madrid last time out.
The visitors have netted 14 goals in their last five games however and could well take advantage of a struggling Union defence.
Nine of the home team’s 11 games this season have gone over 2.5 goals so take there to be three or more in this clash, with Napoli fancied to win and turn up the pressure on Urs Fischer in the Union dugout.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to score anytime @ 2/1
With Victor Osimhen missing through injury, there has been pressure on Napoli’s other attacking stars to step up.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia did so against Verona last time out, netting twice.
The winger scored twice in the Champions League last season and, while he is yet to open his account in the tournament this season, he looks the value selection to do so in Osimhen’s absence.
Against a defence that have conceded ten times in their last three matches, back the Georgian to get on the scoresheet.
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