How Could $NAP and $AFC React to Arsenal vs Napoli Tonight?

Tonight in the Champions League, Napoli host last season’s runners-up Arsenal at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, and traders of the clubs’ respective Fan Tokens are already busy making moves.

So how might this collision play out, both on-pitch and on-chain?

Could Underdogs Boost $NAP With Win?

Napoli’s status as clear underdogs, despite their home advantage, actually means an upset win could provoke a stronger market reaction than if they were favourites – and traders may already be sensing that a shock result is incoming.

That’s because the value of the Napoli Fan Token® ($NAP) has risen by 2% in the last 24 hours, with kickoff still eight hours away at the time of writing. By comparison, the Arsenal Fan Token® ($AFC) is up just 0.6% over the same timeframe.

Of course, there is another way of looking at this picture: $NAP may have bounced 2% since yesterday, but before that, its price had dropped 2% in three days. By comparison, $AFC has mostly trended positively in the lead-up to the clash.

Based on positive momentum over the last day, a victory for either team could conceivably deliver gains for their digital asset, particularly as Champions League games are known to attract heightened trade volume.

This heightened interest is already evident in the charts, with $NAP trading volume having surged 75.5% since this time yesterday. Perhaps surprisingly, Arsenal Fan Token® ($AFC) volumes have not followed suit and have actually declined over the last 24 hours – although that’s likely to change as kickoff draws closer.

How Realistic is an Upset?

On the face of it, Napoli have it all to do: Arsenal made it all the way to the UCL final last time, whereas Napoli won just two of eight games and were eliminated after the initial league phase. Arsenal are on a 12-game winning run in UCL group-stage games.

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Moreover, the Gunners have made a winning start to their domestic campaign whereas Massimiliano Allegri’s men have won just one of three and are languishing in 12th place in Serie A.

The Partenopei are also without star man Scott McTominay, who has just undergone a minor heart operation. Kevin De Bruyne, who broke Arsenal hearts many a time while at Manchester City, may be called upon to provide the ingenuity required to break down Arsenal’s stubborn defence.

Speaking of defence, the Gunners have their own injury concerns with the likes of Cristhian Mosquera, Jurrien Timber, and William Saliba all expected to be on the sidelines.

With both teams looking to get their Champions League campaign up and running, we could be set for a fascinating battle in the cacophonous Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Ronnie McCluskey: Fan Token® Market Reporter