Indeed, only four points separate the two teams, who will battle it out to the end to see who can claim the 2024/25 Scudetto.
With heavyweights Milan and Juventus struggling this season, already sacking one manager apiece, the door has been opened for others to sneak into the Champions League places.
Atalanta may have seen their title hopes falter following consecutive defeats against Lazio, Fiorentina, and Inter, but they should still hope to finish in third place.
Elsewhere, Bologna have come good at just the right time, starting the day fourth in Serie A having won their previous five league matches, which included an impressive 2-1 victory over Milan.
That all set us up nicely for the Monday night game: Bologna vs. Napoli. Only eight points separate the clubs. A win for Napoli will allow them to keep the pressure on Inter, while Bologna can bolster their chances of qualifying for the Champions League for the second year in a row by extending their run of victories.
Antonio Conte vs. Vincenzo Italiano. North vs. East. Scott McTominay vs. Lewis Ferguson.
The match is hotly anticipated and the focus will be on two Scotsmen who have held their own in Serie A since their respective moves to Italy.
Scott McTominay has been a breath of fresh air for Napoli
McTominay was perhaps underappreciated during his time with Manchester United, despite making 255 appearances for the Red Devils.
The midfielder started only 27 of his 43 games for United during the 2023/24 season, with Erik ten Hag often preferring to bring him into the game as a substitute.
This worked to perfection on a few occasions, most notably against Brentford in October 2023. McTominay scored twice in injury time to seal a comeback victory.
Another late goal against Aston Villa bailed out United once again a few months later and he netted vital goals against Liverpool and Coventry in the quarter-final and semi-final of the FA Cup.
A £25m move to Napoli last summer came as a surprise, then, especially given his performances for United. He hasn’t looked back, starring under Conte as the club seek a second league title in just three seasons.
Across 28 games for the club, McTominay has already registered 11 goal contributions – seven goals and four assists – proving his worth from the heart of the midfield.
Only Romelu Lukaku has recorded more contributions in front of goal this season for Napoli. The Scot ranks in the top 3% for goals(six), total shots (58), successful dribbles (29) and touches in the opposition penalty area (90) in Serie A this season.
Not only can he control the midfield and be solid from a defensive point of view, but the Scot is clearly at his best when he makes those trademark late runs into the opposition box.
It will be interesting indeed to see how he copes playing against international teammate Ferguson when Napoli take on Bologna.
Lewis Ferguson is back to his best following injury
Ferguson had the world at his feet towards the end of the 2023/24 season. The former Aberdeen starlet had featured in all but one of Bologna’s league games ahead of a clash against Monza, scoring six goals in the process.
During that game, he suffered an ACL injury which not only ruled him out for the remainder of the club season, but ended his chances of representing Scotland at Euro 2024.
Given how well he had performed in his second season for Bologna, it was a major blow for Scotland, who naturally failed to make it out of the group stages in Germany.
The 25-year-old recovered well from the serious injury, making his first appearance of the season against Lecce at the start of November, featuring for eight minutes.
Since then, the Scot has played a further 20 games for Bologna, scoring once in the league while also chipping in with an assist too.
Of course, it was going to take him a few months to get back to full fitness given the severity of his injury, but after returning to the fold for Scotland during the most recent international break, he is ready to propel his club to a top-four finish. He’s also been integral to Bologna’s Coppa Italia campaign, where they are currently three goals up against Empoli after the first leg of their semi-final.
Ferguson may not be as effective as McTominay this season in terms of contributions in front of goal, but he does rank in the top 26% for pass accuracy (88.5%) and in the top 23% for successful passes per 90 (49.49) in the Italian top flight this season.
Considering he missed nearly four months of the campaign, these statistics show he can still dictate the play in one of the toughest leagues in Europe.
With McTominay becoming the latest Scotsman to shine in Serie A following his move from Man United, plus Ferguson returning to action in recent months, the clash between Napoli and Bologna could come down to whether these two are at their best.
Not since the halcyon days of the 1980s has the Italian top flight seen as many Scottish internationals ply their trade. Back then it was Graeme Souness and Joe Jordan lighting the flame for Scotland on the continent.
Now, both Ferguson and McTominay have the chance to eclipse their predecessors achievements should they lead their respective teams to Coppa Italia or Serie A glory this season.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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