Opta stat confirms Napoli's worst start in a decade

The finding landed straight after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Fiorentina, and the only worse comparison is Rudi Garcia's 2023-24 season, the one that ended in his sacking. The leaders are already six points clear after just five games.

by Gennaro SanninoSunday 20 September, 22:20 CET· 2 hours ago

Rudi Garcia — Foto: mustapha_ennaimi · CC BY 2.0

The number leaves no room for argument: 7 points from 5 Serie A games is Napoli's worst start in ten years. The finding comes from Opta, published immediately after the final whistle in Florence, and the only precedent is the 2023-24 season under Rudi Garcia, who was sacked at matchday 12 following a home defeat to Empoli.

Sunday's 1-1 draw at Fiorentina, Gilmour scoring for Napoli in the 23rd minute before Jiménez equalised in the 51st, leaves Napoli stuck in 9th place on 7 points: two wins, one draw and two defeats, with a goal difference of 7-6. Three losses in the first three games were followed by two unbeaten results in a row, but that hasn't been enough to change what the Opta number says.

At the top, the trio of Roma, Inter and Lazio are on 13 points, with Cagliari chasing on 12. After just five games, Napoli are already six points off the summit.

Last season ended with Napoli second on 76 points, a finish that in a fanbase used to competing for the Scudetto felt like a regret rather than a success. The change of head coach, from Conte to Allegri, was meant to close that gap again. Right now, the numbers say the opposite.

The treatment room and the Allegri question

Allegri reaches the international break with the fullest treatment room of the season and hopes to get key players back during the two-week gap, with a stated aim of restarting with a win over Frosinone on 10 October. Opinion on his work remains split between those who see the football and game management as too passive and those who ask for patience and back the squad. A stat like this, three defeats in the first three games and only two unbeaten results since, does nothing to settle that argument.

Between friendlies during the international break, the countdown resumes from the same fixture: 10 October, 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET), at the Maradona against Frosinone. With this Opta number hanging over them, it won't be a game like any other.