Napoli vs. Bologna, Preview: The Rafael Benítez era begins

Rafael Benítez's new-look Napoli start the Serie A campaign at home to Bologna on Sunday evening, in a game that they should be able to win. Having impressed with one of the best summer transfer campaigns of any team in Italy, this game offers the first competitive glimpse of how the partenopei will shape up in the post-Walter Mazzarri era.

With Bologna having lost a couple of key players this summer -- the most notable being striker Alberto Gilardino and midfielder Saphir Taïder -- just comfortably surviving relegation is the aim this season. However, they head to the San Paolo with fond memories from last season, when they won twice away at Napoli in the space of a December week, coming from behind on both occasions. Tactically very well drilled, the rossoblù could prove to be stubborn opponents.

For Napoli, several players are expected to be given their competitive debuts. Liverpool loanee goalkeeper Pepe Reina will almost definitely start between the sticks, while former Real Madrid centre-back Raúl Albiol will partner Paolo Cannavaro at the centre of the new four-man defence. Edinson Cavani replacement Gonzalo Higuaín will spearhead the attack, while wingers Dries Mertens and José Callejón could also break into the starting eleven.

Benítez's sole injury concern is winger Lorenzo Insigne, who has been absent from training with flu. Midfielder Blerim Džemaili and wing-back Pablo Armero both miss out through suspension. For Bologna, defenders Nicolò Cherubin and Frederik Sörensen are both out injured.

Napoli: Pepe Reina; Juan Zúñiga, Raúl Albiol, Paolo Cannavaro, Christian Maggio; Gökhan Inler, Valon Behrami; Dries Mertens, Marek Hamšík, Goran Pandev; Gonzalo Higuaín

Bologna: Gianluca Curci; Archimede Morleo, Cesare Natali, Mikael Antonsson, György Garics; Francesco Della Rocca, Rene Krhin; Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, Alessandro Diamanti, Panagiotis Kone; Rolando Bianchi

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