Napoli almost nabbed their first massive result of the season against Roma, but their defense fell apart late, which has occurred routinely this campaign, even though Massimiliano Allegri is known for his expertise on that end.

The Partenopei have already conceded 14 goals after 8 Serie A rounds. According to Corriere dello Sport, The last time a team helmed by the veteran gaffer had been so leaky dates back to 2008/2009’s Cagliari, when he was an up-and-comer. The boss honed in on his craft at Milan and Juventus. For instance, his Scudetto-winning squad had been beaten five to nine times at this point of the season.

Allegri is struggling to find a happy medium between the two phases and is continuously tinkering with the scheme, but trying to outscore the opponents can only go so far, as their supposed main threat, Rasmus Hojlund, has been sputtering so far.

Per Radio Marte, the Danish striker hasn’t scored in almost two months at this point, failing to hit the net in eight consecutive matches with the Partenopei. Since he struck against Inter in the third round, he has only notched two assists and rattled the woodwork twice. Instead, he has produced with his national team during the break. The Azzurri have the third-best xG league-wide, so the chances have been there.

Our Take on Napoli, Allegri and Hojlund

Not having Scott McTominay, Alessandro Buongiorno, and Frank Anguissa, other than hurting the quality of their XIs, has led to constant tweaks, which isn’t the gaffer’s forte, since he thrives on stability. The defensive numbers are likely an aberration and will get better over time, while the marksman has never been too clutch even in his best days, often paying the price for all the hard work he does in other areas.

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