Napoli Take Serie A Form Into Europe As Stars Shine Once Again

Winning each of their last seven league games, Napoli started this week an incredible 15 points clear at the top of the Serie A table. Their domestic form has been so impressive that it has started to make a title victory look almost certain for Luciano Spalletti’s men.

They have done so by boasting the best attack in the division after scoring 12 more goals than any other side (with a total of 56), but also the best defence, conceding just 15 goals over the first 23 rounds of action.

It is impossible to understate just what lifting Lo Scudetto would mean to the Italian club, who have only won the title on two previous occasions, those triumphs coming back in 1987 and 1990.

Bringing the trophy to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona – named after the man who delivered those previous successes – would delight the Partenopei faithful, and is certain to spark incredible scenes in the southern city.

Yet this week saw them jump out to a 2-0 lead in their UEFAEFA
Champions League last-16 tie with Eintracht Frankfurt, victory at the Waldstadion continuing their impressive record this term no matter who they face.

Sure, they’re sweeping the poor sides away in domestic action, but in Europe the Azzurri have done just the same as their well-constructed squad shines in the game’s most elite competition to prove that they are not merely some flat track bully.

Indeed, taking away a 0-2 loss to Liverpool at Anfield when both sides had already sealed their progress to the knockout rounds, Napoli have won each of their other six Champions League fixtures this season, outscoring their opponents by a remarkable 22 goals to four.

That record includes a 4-1 thrashing of Liverpool in Naples and an eye-popping 6-1 victory over Ajax in Amsterdam.

At the forefront of everything they do is of course Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian striker – discussed in detail in this previous column – has been simply unplayable, his goal against Eintracht Frankfurt taking him to 20 for the season in just 24 appearances.

The team’s second goal against the German club was bagged by Giovanni Di Lorenzo, capping off an incredible passage of team play that was punctuated by a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia back heel.

“We were a little tense at first, but we brought out our quality and deserved the win,” Di Lorenzo told Sport Mediaset. “These are moves we practise in training. We are happy with the victory, but the second leg will be another difficult match. You never know what will happen in Europe, so we need to be ready for that game.”

Kvaratskhelia – nicknamed “Kvaradona – by supporters – notched his 12th assist of the campaign with that sublime piece of skill, and he has scored the same number of goals too, an impressive return for a player signed from Dinamo Batumi back in July.

The €10 million ($10.64 million) handed to the Georgian club now looks like a complete steal, and it is far from the only smart signing made by Napoli as they built this excellent side.

André Frank Zambo Anguissa arrived in a €15 million ($15.97 million) move from Fulham, Piotr Zieliński cost just €16 million ($17.03 million) and Di Lorenzo a mere €8 million ($8.52 million) from Empoli.

Spalletti has made them into a formidable unit, and the players – who came close to lifting major trophies in the recent past but always came up short – know exactly the impact that he has had on the group.

“We are doing truly exceptional things with the coach,” Zielinski told Sport Mediaset after the win in Frankfurt. “I think we can do really well this season and perhaps celebrate some of the things we didn’t in previous years.”

Spalletti went even further, insisting that Napoli’s performances in Europe will prove their domestic success is certainly not due to weak opposition, an accusation regularly levelled at them this term.

“The team played a great game, they told us that perhaps we play some of the best football in Italy because in Italy the football is bad.” he said in his post-match interview.

“Maybe Eintracht played in a more ‘Italian’ way by sitting back and defending. It’s time we got rid of this cliché about defensive Italian football.”

Perhaps it is, but Napoli are certainly doing their part and, if they do go on to lift the Scudetto, you can bet that the celebrations will be befitting a club whose home is named after Diego Maradona.