Napoli vs Frankfurt Champions League round of 16 preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, starting line-ups
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
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When is it? How can you watch it? What are the starting line-ups? All you need to know about the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg between Napoli and Frankfurt.
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Napoli and Frankfurt meet in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg on Wednesday 15 March.
Napoli vs Frankfurt at a glance
When: Wednesday 15 March (21:00 CET kick-off)
Where: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples
What: UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg
How it stands: first leg: 2-0
How to follow: Build-up and live coverage can be found here
Where to watch Napoli vs Frankfurt on TV
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
What do you need to know?
Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani was dismissed in the first leg, leaving the Europa League-winners without their most effective goalscorer as they look to overturn a 2-0 deficit in Naples. They can take some encouragement from having won their only previous away game against Napoli (1-0 in the 1994/95 UEFA Cup), but will be mindful that their hosts have won all three of their Champions League home games this season, scoring three goals in one and four in each of the other two.
Starting line-ups
Napoli: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim, Mário Rui; Zambo Anguissa, Lobotka, Zieliński; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Misses next match if booked: Politano, Kim
Frankfurt: Trapp; Buta, Tuta, N'Dicka, Lenz; Rode, Sow; Knauff, Götze, Kamada; Borré
Suspended: Kolo Muani
Misses next match if booked: Hasebe, Jakić, Smolčić
Form guide
Napoli
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WLWWWW
Where they stand: 1st in Serie A
Frankfurt
Form (all competitions, most recent first): DDLLWL
Where they stand: 6th in German Bundesliga, German Cup quarter-finals
Expert predictions
Vieri Capretta, Napoli reporter
This is by far the best Italian team of recent years, who are safely at the helm of the Serie A table and therefore able to focus on the Champions League. Luciano Spalletti can field his best XI to make sure the job is done and progress sealed.
Steffen Potter, Frankfurt reporter
Eintracht are now three competitive games without a win and have lost three of the last five. While they have not exactly underperformed, things haven't gone their way lately. There is, however, no indication that Glasner will change his system, so we can expect them in their usual 3-4-2-1 line-up in Napoli. Things will surely be complicated by Kolo Muani missing out – he is currently the Bundesliga's most effective player with 11 goals and 13 assists (Bayern's Musiala is second with four assists less).
What the coaches say
Luciano Spalletti, Napoli coach: "History beckons for my side, but I don't think this will create added pressure. They will be able to reproduce the same quality they show almost always every time. Glasner's team are very strong. Last season they beat Barcelona, who eliminated us in the Europa League. They deserve great respect. It will be a very difficult match and we cannot fall into the trap of complacency. That is not our way."
Oliver Glasner, Frankfurt coach: "What sets us apart is the ability to compensate for setbacks. We're missing two players with outstanding qualities. Instead, others start who also have the ability to decide a game. One player alone can't win a game anyway."
Where is the 2023 Champions League final?
Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium will host the final on Saturday 10 June 2023.
The winners gain a place in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stage, if they have not qualified via their domestic competition.