Højlund has not scored since 5 September as Napoli's misses pile up before Roma

Napoli had 29 shots at Venezia to their opponents' 9. They won 12 corners to none. They lost 1-0.

Both games point the same way: Napoli get into the box often and score rarely. They have 10 goals in seven league games and sit ninth. That is not a passing run of bad luck.

The centre-forward question

Rasmus Højlund is the name that matters most here. He has not scored since 5 September, and against Bodø/Glimt he started on the bench, with Lucca and Giovane up front. Giovane has also moved ahead of Lucca as the Dane's understudy.

The club had described the match as a test of the coach's position, and Napoli's number 19 was left out of the starting XI. That was Allegri's call, and Allegri should be judged on it. The question is whether the striker meant to bring the goals lost his place on technical grounds, or because six weeks without a goal is starting to weigh on the man who picks the team, too.

Goals from midfield

For now, the goals are coming from deeper. McTominay scored two against Bodø/Glimt. He had an operation for an arrhythmia on 8 September and was only cleared to play on 8 October. Allegri himself has said that McTominay and Anguissa are "not yet at 100%".

De Bruyne set up the first. Politano, passed fit only on the eve of the game, set up the second, which came after a minute.

De Bruyne's position has been the subject of several discussions with the coach at Castel Volturno (the training ground), starting after the night in Villarreal. In the end the Belgian agreed to play a few metres deeper. But a team that relies on its senior midfielders for goals is covering a hole in attack, not fixing it.

Rrahmani at the back

The defence is the other problem. Against Bodø/Glimt, Napoli went ahead three times and were pegged back three times, the last in the 90th minute.

Of the senior players, Rrahmani currently looks the most affected by fatigue. He has just signed a new contract to 2029 and scored in the 8th minute against Villarreal. Allegri was blunt after Tuesday's game:

"When we're in our own half, we're fragile."

Buongiorno is out after a meniscus operation and faces a long absence. The other options in the squad are Beukema, Badiashile, Rafa Marín and Marianucci. On Saturday we will see whether Allegri changes something in the middle of defence or sticks with the Kosovan.

Roma next

Roma come to the Maradona on Saturday 24 October at 18:00 CET (17:00 UK, 12:00 ET). They are third on 17 points, seven more than Napoli, and arrive off a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava. Gasperini is without Pellegrini and Koné but has Malen back.

It is the second test the club has tied to Allegri's future. For supporters, the question is simple: if 29 shots were not enough at Venezia, how many will it take against a side that gives up far fewer?

Wasting chances against Roma will cost more than it did against Venezia.