Just over 24 hours away from the superstar of the Allianz stadium. Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli is preparing to face Juventus rivals. On Saturday, at 18:00, the first true match of this season is played in Serie A. Last season, Koulibali’s “illusive” goal kicked the Bianconeri at home in the final game, but could not abolish the title seven consecutive.
From that moment, everything seems to have changed. On the bench of Naples now is the coach born in Reggiolo and not Maurizio Sarri. With this move in the direction, Napoli has certainly won. After six weeks, the championship sees Juventus leaders at the top, with 18 points, while Napoli is second with 15 points. A difference that feeds even more the great battle of tomorrow.
On the eve of the challenge, the blue coach came out at a press conference by the technical center of “Castel Volturno”. Among other things, he underlined: “Who wins? I will not give you a name. We worked hard, we were well trained. The only problem for this match will be the formation, difficult to be selected from me. The team is pretty well physically and motivated. More than 11 players deserve to play against Juventus for what they have shown in the last games.
This is my problem. The team is self-motivated for such games. Koulibaly? He is a great player, has a lot of experience and one of the best in the world in his role. Goalkeepers? Ospina and Karnezis have improved much during this period, they give me the same confidence and guarantee, so I have alternated them. Ghoulam? We have to follow it carefully, he has already returned to the field and is working individually. It works to tone the muscles.
Mertens? He is fine, with Turin being the key to success. Tomorrow is a very important test to understand our moment. For me, we are fine, but with Juventus we will have further confirmation, or we will take a small step back. I’m sure we are in front of a complex calendar, but in optimal conditions. We have to repeat ourselves against a great team.
What would be the perfect game to win in Turin? It is the one in which possession of the ball is kept so many, maybe 95% (laughs). We must take every opportunity. Accepting excellence means expressing what we have prepared in the exercise. We will expose our qualities to the field. Who will say better, he will win. I do not care to know who is a favorite or not. The match is worth 3 points, no more. Among others is too early, as the championship period. Then, it is clear that a win will give us enthusiasm because the team is young.
Should I sign for a draw in Turin? I never did this in my life. Go ahead on my line: we should not think about the result. We think we play well, repeating what we did in the last games. The difficulty increases, is inevitable, we will have more pressure, but we should not change the way we play. What does it mean to go back to Turin? It’s part of the past, but it does not bother me. It was a bad season for the results, but it helped me grow and understand how to work in a serious club. I do not consider that negative experience.
Allegri? He has great experience, know how to play and what we have changed. I do not think there are special concerns, now there are no more secrets in football. A great, expert and practical coach, takes the best out of that team that is available. What effect does Ronaldo give me? For Cristian, I have endless gratitude.
Beyond the goals he scored, when I was a coach in Madrid, I was impressed with his human and professional qualities. I am happy to be in Italy, I think it is an added value for our football. “Golden Ball”? For me, always have to win the best. This edition would be good if Modric, a player I like, is rewarded. ”
