Allegri’s Napoli Gamble: 20-Man Squad Named for Bodo/Glimt Champions League Clash

FolioPitch.com – 20 October 2026 | Massimiliano Allegri has officially named a 20-man squad for Napoli‘s crucial Champions League encounter against Bodo/Glimt at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Tuesday evening, a match that could define the early trajectory of his tenure in Naples. The announcement, which confirms Official Napoli name 20-man squad for Bodo Glimt in Champions League, comes at a moment of significant pressure for the Italian coach, whose side remain without a point after two matches in the 2026-27 league phase.

Napoli’s European campaign has begun in difficult fashion. A 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal in the opening round was followed by a 3-1 loss away at Villarreal last week, leaving the Partenopei rooted at the bottom of the standings. Domestic form has offered little respite either: just 10 points from the first seven Serie A fixtures, capped by a 1-0 defeat at Venezia on Saturday—a result made all the more painful given that the hosts had not collected a single point before facing Napoli.

Allegri has now lost five of his first nine competitive matches in charge, and the fixture against Bodo/Glimt has taken on the appearance of a must-win encounter. The Norwegian champions have earned a reputation as dangerous opposition, and another setback would intensify scrutiny on the coach’s methods and results. As Official Napoli name 20-man squad for Bodo Glimt in Champions League confirms, Allegri has opted for a blend of experience and necessity, with several key figures still unavailable.

Injury Concerns Shape Squad Selection

The Napoli medical room remains busy. Alessandro Buongiorno, Costantino Favasuli, Antonio Vergara and David Neres are all still absent, while Alisson Santos has been ruled out for another spell after picking up a fresh hamstring injury over the weekend. Those absences have narrowed Allegri’s options, particularly in defence and on the flanks, and explain the composition of the 20-man group.

Despite the constraints, the squad named by Allegri contains ample quality. Kevin De Bruyne, who scored in the recent Serie A victory over Frosinone, is expected to be the creative hub, while Scott McTominay, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka and Billy Gilmour provide a robust midfield base. In attack, Rasmus Hojlund is tipped to return at centre-forward after an unsuccessful experiment with Giovane and Lorenzo Lucca leading the line against Venezia.

Tactical Shift Expected

Allegri is expected to abandon the back three he deployed at the weekend in favour of a back four against Bodo/Glimt. That adjustment should see Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Sam Beukema and either Benoît Badiashile or Rafa Marin form the defensive line in front of one of Alex Meret, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic or Nikita Contini. The change is intended to provide greater width and control in possession, while also offering more protection against Bodo/Glimt’s quick transitions.

The confirmed squad is as follows:

• Goalkeepers: Contini, Meret, Milinkovic-Savic
• Defenders: Badiashile, Beukema, Di Lorenzo, Rafa Marin, Olivera, Rrahmani, Spinazzola
• Midfielders: Anguissa, De Bruyne, Gilmour, Lobotka, McTominay
• Forwards: Giovane, Hojlund, Lang, Lucca, Politano

With the squad now confirmed, attention turns to the starting XI and the approach Allegri will take. The coach has spoken in recent weeks about the need for greater consistency and defensive solidity, and the return to a back four suggests a desire to impose Napoli’s game on the opposition rather than react to it. The presence of De Bruyne and McTominay in midfield offers the possibility of both creativity and late runs into the box, while Hojlund’s return provides a focal point that was missing at the weekend.

For Bodo/Glimt, the match represents an opportunity to claim a significant scalp on Italian soil. The Norwegian side have shown in recent seasons that they are capable of upsetting more established European opponents, and they will likely seek to exploit any anxiety in the Napoli ranks. Allegri’s men, for their part, must handle the expectation that comes with playing at the Maradona, where the home crowd has yet to see a Champions League victory this season.

The fact that Official Napoli name 20-man squad for Bodo Glimt in Champions League has been met with such interest reflects the stakes involved. A positive result would not only keep Napoli’s European hopes alive but also ease the pressure on Allegri ahead of a demanding run of domestic fixtures. Defeat, by contrast, would raise fresh questions about the direction of the project and the coach’s ability to turn around a campaign that is threatening to unravel before the winter.</n

Kick-off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is scheduled for 20.00 BST. With the squad now officially confirmed, the focus shifts to the performance itself—and to whether Allegri’s selection can deliver the result that Napoli so desperately need.