Pandora Hughes
Frankfurt needs goals at the Stadio Maradona if it is to progress in the Champions League and that could mean an entertaining game is in store.
Who do Bettors Favor?
The best-rated online sportsbooks seem to be in agreement here, with bettors favoring the home team heavily. Napoli is as short as -211 in some places, while Frankfurt is a big underdog at odds of +550 and higher. The draw – which would still see Napoli progress – is rated as a +360 chance.
| Napoli v Frankfurt |  |  |  |
| Napoli | -205 | -211 | -200 |
| Draw | +360 | +360 | +350 |
| Frankfurt | +585 | +550 | +550 |
Napoli On the March
Napoli has been on the march from the start of this season’s Serie A campaign and is making serene progress through the knockout stages of the Champions League, with goals from Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo being enough to give it a 2-0 first leg lead over Frankfurt.
Those two goals made it 22 in total in the Champions League this season, while it hasn’t lost at home in Champions League competition in 11 games. Napoli is also cruising in Serie A. Last weekend it earned a win over Atalanta, thanks to another wonder goal from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, to open up an 18-point lead at the top of the table, which is surely insurmountable at this stage.
With domestic honors virtually secured, Napoli’s focus is clearly on European competition and earning that first-ever European trophy. Given its current form, it is hard to see any team in Europe being able to stop it right now, although anything can happen in knockout football.
Frankfurt Struggling for Form
After a disastrous first leg in which it conceded goals either side of halftime and was reduced to ten men before the hour, Eintracht Frankfurt faces a very steep climb if it is to get back into this fixture and given that the team is struggling for form on all fronts, that task is harder still.
Die Adler has won none of its last three games in the Bundesliga, most recently being held 1-1 by struggling Stuttgart, and has now slipped to sixth in the table.
Looking on the positive side, however, Oliver Glasner’s team does have an excellent European record, having lost only three of its last 20 games in European competition. It has also achieved a win by at least a three-goal margin on five occasions this season and has bagged 46 goals in the Bundesliga, which is a higher tally than it managed in the whole of the 2021-22 season.
One of Frankfurt’s strengths in recent months has been an ability to get positive results on the road, so Napoli will not be taking its opponents lightly here.
UCL Betting Head-to-Head
There isn’t much head-to-head evidence to compare these teams as this is the first time that they have been in opposition in the Champions League.
Napoli has made regular appearances in the Group Stage of the Champions League, but surprisingly has never been beyond the Round of 16. In fact, it has not reached any European final in its history, with its best performances being semi-final appearances in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977 and in the UEFA Cup/Europa League in 1989 and 2015.
By contrast, Eintracht Frankfurt has two European trophies in its trophy cabinet. It won the UEFA Cup in 1980, beating Borussia Monchengladbach over two legs and last season beat Rangers on penalties to win the Europa League. It also holds the distinction of appearing in the first-ever European Cup final, where it lost 7-3 to Real Madrid in 1960.
UCL Team News
The team news for Napoli is good, as left-back Mario Rui is set to return having served a two-game suspension and is likely to take over from Mathias Olivera. First-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret is also likely to be fit, and there are hopes that both Kim Min-jae and Hirving Lozano could be available. Giacomo Raspadori, however, is still missing with a thigh injury.
Frankfurt’s selection problems are more significant. Striker Randal Kolo Muani will not be available here, due to suspension, and both Jesper Lindstrom and Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe are unavailable. Glasner will be able to call on Daichi Kamada to play in the front three, along with Rafael Santos Borre. Kamada is the club’s all-time leading scorer in European competition and Borre has a habit of scoring vital goals.
UCL Match Betting Pick
The challenge for Frankfurt is stark. It has to beat Napoli by three goals. That task isn’t entirely out of its reach, given the free-scoring nature of Glasner’s team and its regular European heroics, particularly on the road. Napoli is also a team built around attacking flair and plenty of goals, so while the home win does not appeal at these match betting odds, backing Over 2.5 in the Total Goals market looks like a good pick.
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