Italians to test their strength ahead of the season opener. Napoli vs Aris match prediction
Napoli
Aris
Napoli and Aris will face off in a pre-season friendly. The match is set for Wednesday, August 12, kicking off at 21:00 Central European Time. My focus here is on the game’s scoring potential.
H2H and statistical facts
- During their summer camp, Napoli managed to defeat Carrarese and Osasuna, drew with Celta, and suffered a loss to Arezzo.
- Aris recently beat Monza and shared the spoils with Panserraikos.
- The two teams have never met before.
Napoli enters this friendly against Aris as a side that enjoyed a stellar previous season but is now facing a significant rebuild this summer. The Neapolitans finished runners-up in Serie A, surrendering the title to Inter, and the main headline after the season was the departure of Antonio Conte.
The Italian coach left the club after two seasons, during which he led Napoli to a league title in his debut campaign and lifted the Italian Super Cup. Now, Napoli's challenge is to stay competitive under the new management of Massimiliano Allegri.
Despite the managerial change, Napoli still boasts one of the most powerful squads in Italian football. The club continues to strengthen and is working hard to keep its core players. One key move was the permanent signing of Brazilian attacker Allison Santos, who had previously been on loan at Napoli.
Meanwhile, Napoli’s summer transfer window has brought notable changes up front. The future of Romelu Lukaku remains a major talking point, with the latest reports suggesting he’s close to leaving the club. That could significantly reshape Napoli’s attack, though the Neapolitans still have plenty of quality options in the final third.
- See also: The hosts face another tough challenge: prediction for Fluminense vs Independiente Rivadavia
Aris, on the other hand, finished last season in Greece much more modestly than their Italian counterparts. The Thessaloniki club competed in the playoffs for fifth to eighth place and ultimately secured fifth spot.
This summer, Aris has begun a serious squad overhaul. One of the standout signings is Cameroonian midfielder Martin Hongla, who joined from Granada for €1.3 million. The club also brought in central defender Noah Sonko Sundberg from Ludogorets, with several other players arriving either as free agents or from less prominent leagues. The key addition, though, is the loan signing of Rafa Mir from Sevilla.
Aris’s pre-season has been packed: the team held training camps in Latvia, Poland, and Austria, lining up a series of friendlies against tough opposition. Now, Napoli has been added to the schedule, making this the most intriguing stage of their preparations.
Despite the friendly status, Napoli are clear favorites. The Italians have superior individual quality, squad depth, and experience at the top European level. However, don’t expect maximum intensity for the full 90 minutes: this is the final tune-up before the season, so the coaching staff will likely rotate heavily and give various players a chance to impress.
What’s the bet?
Napoli should control possession, and as the game unfolds, their class may start to tell in terms of goal-scoring chances. Still, Aris are in good physical shape after a rigorous pre-season and will surely try to put up a fight against their more illustrious opponents. For Napoli, quality of play will matter more than the final score, so the match could end up being less high-scoring than the gap in class suggests. My pick: total goals under 3.5.
