Chelsea v Napoli: Goalscorer Tip 1

Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, Chelsea’s biggest problem on Wednesday night may be keeping a clean sheet. If the hosts do concede, they will need to find at least three goals of their own just to get to extra-time. They face a Napoli side who are becoming increasingly revered as one of the finest counter-attacking forces on the continent.

Walter Mazzarri’s team served a reminder of their attacking verve in winning 6-3 over Cagliari on Friday. That made it six consecutive wins in all competitions as the Naples club continue to cope admirably with the duel demands of Serie A and Champions League football.

Simply betting on both sides to score doesn’t find us any great value at best odds of 4/6 (Bet365). Instead, we must look to Napoli’s famed trio of Cavani, Lavezzi and Hamsik and decide who is our best pick.

In the first match I sided with Cavani in the first goalscorer market. He scored the second for Napoli, sandwiched between two strikes from Lavezzi. This time we can find value just be looking at the anytime goalscorer betting. I will overlook Marek Hamsyk (7/2 Ladbrokes) simply because on form he looks the least likely of the triumvirate to find the net.

The best option looks like a split stake between Edinson Cavani (11/5 Coral) and Ezequiel Lavezzi (5/2 Bluesquare). Both have great credentials. Cavani is comfortably the leading scorer for the club; he has 24 for the season in all competitions, following on from 33 in 2010-11. He has been as prolific in the Champions League as domestically. His first leg goal against Chelsea was his fifth in seven European games - he also destroyed Manchester City.

For more on why Lavezzi is another good choice, just click here.