Napoli tries the shot: winning in Cagliari to take Milan

In the week of dreams, Napoli can begin to take off a … Sassuolo from the shoe. Yes, because on 1 December, in Reggio Emilia against Dionisi’s neroverdi, Napoli suffered a comeback from 0-2 to 2-2 in the final, losing Koulibaly and Fabian Ruiz through injury and entering a tunnel of negative results. In hindsight – with Sassuolo having won twice at San Siro – Spalletti’s team gained and not lost in this parallel race. Provided, of course, that today he is capable of winning in Cagliari, which is not at all simple. So let’s see how Napoli can exploit the enthusiasm for the result and the performance of Barcelona and how this can create a long wave on the championship. Because tonight Napoli could overtake Inter (albeit with one less match) and hook Milan to the top.

Because when players died, Spalletti never gave alibis to his team and above all to the environment. And this also served to mature. So you fight in what you are, without spreading your arms and giving yourself up for resignation. It also happened in the last big matches against Inter and Barcelona. Where the insatiable have criticized the second half of a team that has suffered the opponents. Yes, but if you play with teams of that caliber, there are different moments of the match. And the blues, however, have always held up. Suffice it to say that Inter scored favored by a rebound without ever shooting on goal while Barcelona managed to score goals only from a penalty. It means that there is a solid group, capable of suffering. Because the results of this round show that those who have played in the European cups have suffered.

Even in the most adverse circumstances, Napoli have never given up playing. There is a game in this sense that is significant also to understand what can happen tonight, the one at home with Atalanta. Even then Spalletti was devoid of several important players and decided to change the system, putting himself on the field with a 3-4-2-1 that could be repeated tonight, given that Insigne and 5 other players did not leave for Cagliari. And the coach in midfield must resolve several doubts because Fabian Ruiz is not at his best and therefore Demme remains the only midfielder and something will have to be “invented”. But that Napoli changes or that it presents itself with the usual 4-2-3-1 the only certain thing is that the team will always try to play the ball on the ground, maintaining possession and trying to verticalize its maneuver as soon as possible.

In the battle of Cagliari, against a team in recovery and thirsty for points, Napoli is ready to deploy its defense which is an international guarantee. The Koulibaly seen at the Camp Nou was sumptuous and further aroused the interest of the Blaugrana club which identified him among the possible reinforcements for next season. KK will be captain tonight and will keep us at the top in Europe (currently on par with City and Sevilla with 17 goals conceded, with one game less). But from Di Lorenzo to Rrahmani, from Juan Jesus to Mario Rui all have shown reliability and able to concede very little to the opponent’s attacks. If they manage to do it again, Napoli will be able to return to the top tonight, where they have been missing since November 21, the night of the first defeat. The one with Inter.