Fans of the beautiful game, rejoice! Napoli, one of the most entertaining and exciting teams to watch in Europe this season, are back in continental action, with the Italian giants gearing up for the UEFA Champions League round of 16. Standing in their way is Eintracht Frankfurt, the UEFA Europa League holders, with the German outfit set to host the first leg of this tie.
Things have been going perfectly for Napoli domestically this season. Spalletti's men are top of the table with a 15-point advantage over their nearest rivals, which is Inter Milan, with Gli Azzurri boasting arguably the most in-form attacking partnership in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen.
However, in Europe, things could have been drastically different for the Italian giants. Napoli kicked off their continental campaign with that unforgettable home victory over Liverpool, with Osimhen and Co. thrashing last season's runners-up 4-1. However, the reverse tie complicated matters.
Spalletti's men were beaten 2-0 at Anfield on the final day of the group stage, meaning the Naples and Merseyside giants finished on 15 points each. Fortunately for the Italians, their superior goal difference in their head-to-head encounters meant they won the group ahead of the Premier League heavyweights, thus avoiding a clash with Real Madrid and drawing Eintracht Frankfurt in the round of 16 instead.
With the Scudetto race being a matter of when not if, Napoli can focus on achieving a memorable run in the UEFA Champions League. Given that the Serie A leaders have won 18 out of their last 19 top-flight games and were the top scorers of this season's UEFA Champions League group stage (20 goals), the visitors should fancy their odds on Tuesday.
However, in Frankfurt, Napoli will be facing a team that overcame greater adversity. Despite finishing 11th in the Bundesliga last season, the German outfit secured their ticket to Europe's premier club competition by winning the UEFA Europa League, triumphing over Rangers in the final.
And this season, the Eagles pulled off another miracle to make the knockout stage as two crucial victories in their last two group-stage ties secured their progression. Oliver Glasner's side won only three games so far and two out of those three victories came in their last two matches.
The first was a 2-1 victory over Marseille, with Kamada and Kolo Muani securing the three points. After that came the victory over Sporting CP by an identical scoreline, with the aforementioned attackers finding the back of the net once again to secure a second-place finish in Group D.
So far, Eintracht Frankfurt are sixth in the Bundesliga, winning 11 out of their 21 outings while suffering five defeats. However, their recent form has been nearly impeccable, with the 3-0 loss to Cologne a week ago being their only defeat since going down 2-1 at home to Dortmund on October 29.
Napoli will be a tough test for the German opposition, but with Kolo Muani firing on all four cylinders, the hosts should enter this tie with the belief of pulling off an upset.
Team news
Eintracht Frankfurt: Eric Dina Ebimbe is sidelined but Hrvoje Smolcic and Aurelio Buta should return to the lineup. Kolo Muani, who has 29 goal contributions so far this season, will lead the line and will likely be joined by Kamada and Lindstrom.
Napoli: Giacomo Raspadori is suffering from a muscular injury and will play no part in this fixture. As a result, Hirving Lozano might return to the mix while Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia are destined to lead the line.
Key stats
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This will be the third meeting between Napoli and Eintracht Frankfurt.
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In both previous encounters, the German side triumphed, with the Italians failing to score.
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The Bundesliga outfit have lost only twice in their last 11 encounters with Italian clubs.
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Napoli have won their last two encounters with German teams and will be looking to make it three victories in a row.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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