Spalletti
Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti has warned his side that they cannot think they are already through to the quarterfinals stage of the UEFA champions league despite comfortably dispatching Eintracht Frankfurt away from home.
Spalletti’s Napoli have never made it to the champions league quarterfinals in their history but they’re now in control of their last-16 tie as they await Frankfurt in Naples on March 15 for the return leg.
Spalletti refused to rest on his laurels, though, as he insisted nothing has been achieved just yet.
Asked if Napoli and Real Madrid, who smashed Liverpool 5-2 at AnfieldAMP in Tuesday’s other clash, were favourites, Spalletti responded: “Will we be able to repeat it?
“We have to, let’s see if we stay on track, remain in command. We cannot think we are automatically through.”
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia saw Kevin Trapp save his penalty four minutes before Osimhen’s first-half opener, with Napoli’s poor spot-kick record continuing in the Champions League.
The Partenopei have scored just three of their six penalties taken in this year’s competition, with only Monaco and Sevilla (in the 2016-17 term) missing as many in a single campaign, excluding shoot-outs, since Opta data began in the 2003-04 season.
Kvaratskhelia bounced back to tee up Di Lorenzo’s calm finish, his 13th assist across all competitions this term – no Serie A player has managed more.
Spalletti referenced the resilience of Napoli being a key factor for their success.
“This thing should be highlighted here, the team didn’t give up after the penalty kick, but scored immediately, insisted because we wanted to win,” he added.
“Thinking correctly, behaving like this, and wanting to win the match. We want to win them all, the matches pass so we don’t come back again.
“We dreamed of this game here as children, we can’t fail it. At 2-0, there was the possibility of scoring the third goal, we did some things well, others a little less, we could have tried more.”