Napoli is set to face Cagliari in the Coppa Italia round of 16 with both teams confirming their line-ups. The match will kick off at 17.00 GMT (18.00 CET) at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Napoli’s coach Antonio Conte has opted for a heavily rotated squad to preserve key players ahead of their Serie A clash with Juventus. Only three players from the recent 1-0 league win over Roma—goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, defender Sam Beukema, and wing-back Mathias Olivera—retain their starting spots. Conte’s decision means that regular starters such as Amir Rrahmani, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, and Noa Lang have been rested.
Napoli’s line-up in a 3-4-3 formation is:
1. Milinkovic-Savic (GK)
2. Beukema (CB)
3. Juan Jesus (CB)
4. Olivera (RB)
5. Mazzocchi (LWB)
6. Vergara (CM)
7. Elmas (CM)
8. Spinazzola (RWB)
9. Politano (LW)
10. Lucca (CF)
11. Ambrosino (RW)
Some young players get opportunities, including Antonio Vergara, Giuseppe Ambrosino, and Pasquale Mazzocchi. Napoli’s squad is still missing Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, and Billy Gilmour due to injuries. Suspended defender Luca Marianucci is unavailable as well.
Cagliari, who come off a narrow 2-1 defeat to Juventus, have made several changes but field an attacking 3-4-3 setup:
1. Caprile (GK)
2. Deiola (CB)
3. Luperto (CB)
4. Rodriguez (RB)
5. Di Pardo (CM)
6. Adopo (CM)
7. Gaetano (LM)
8. Obert (RM)
9. Kilicsoy (LW)
10. Pavoletti (CF)
11. Luvumbo (RW)
Players like Zito Luvumbo, Gianluca Gaetano, and Leonardo Pavoletti are prime candidates to impact the fixture. Cagliari earlier progressed to this stage by defeating Virtus Entella and Frosinone.
Conte’s lineup choices underline his strategic approach to balancing competition across both the Coppa Italia and Serie A. With several squad players earning starts, Napoli will aim to maintain their cup ambitions while preserving fitness for the weekend. Football Italia’s liveblog will offer real-time updates on the match’s developments.
Read more at: football-italia.net
