“We need to play a good match. Can we afford to lose 1-0?
Article Key Points
We are not a team that can make calculations, we have to play our game, have more balance and think only about this. If we were to think about something different we would end up playing a bad game". Walter Mazzarri makes things clear on the eve of the challenge with Braga at Maradona, where the Napoli is hunting for a pass to the eighth finals Champions.
The Neapolitans are coming from three defeats in a row (Real, Inter and Juve) and tomorrow “more attention is needed in the defensive phase – continues the coach to the microphones of Sky Sport – In the last few games we have seen a compact team, which accompanies the action, several things that I liked. But we need to be more careful in the defensive mechanisms".
Even on high balls. “We worked on it, automatisms are acquired over time, we hope to see something positive starting tomorrow”, the hope of Mazzarri, also confident about his athletic growth: “We have already seen something, we hope to continue like this”. As for training, possible chance for Zanoli.
Mazzarri: “Osimhen?
We will evaluate tomorrow when he returns"
“Let's see if he starts from the beginning knowing that I will have to change him because he hasn't been able to train continuously or put him in during the match”.On osimhen, who flew to Morocco for the African Golden Ball ceremony, added: “When he returns we will talk and understand if he is in condition to start from the beginning.
However, we have Raspadori and Simeone who have shown that they are important players."
“First of all, tomorrow it is essential to advance. I think day by day, we have shown that we play football, but we have to find the balance we had last year, not allow counterattacks, goals that are a bit like this that they didn't concede last year.
I would like to see a more attentive, compact defensive phase, things that have been seen to improve, but we have been lacking in terms of results, at the first mistake you concede a goal".
“Tomorrow I expect more solidity, playing the football that we played with me too. We played very well with Juventus in the first half and with Inter, but tomorrow I am interested in going through, showing that we are solid again and we are not giving anything away.
Then we'll see the rest along the way"
, he added.
Mazzarri: “Natan? You pay duty when you come from Brazil”
“I came back to play with 4, there were the ideal players to do it, they asked me about the 3-man defense.
On the left everything happened, Natan is doing what he can do, I expect him to push harder if he plays. I coached Bremer, if you saw him in the first few months he was a different player than the current one.
You pay duty when you come here from Brazil.”
“Zanoli can also play, but he was injured and has limited playing time.
The important thing is to be compact, calm on that side, on the right we play great football, but there is apprehension and we must improve tomorrow. The solidity of the team counts, while attacking knowing that we must not let them restart, this is the meaning of the next match for me"
, he continued.
“With Juve we took 7 shots, I would like to practice shooting when I have time because lately we have been shooting badly.
The first year here we came third, the midfielders scored 0 goals, with Inler and Dzemaili we scored a lot and came second. We also need to find the goal from distance.
Inter had done nothing in the first half, they unlocked it from outside, here I will have to work. If we manage to crush the opponents in their area, then we also need to find the goal from outside.
I'm convinced that it would give us something extra to unlock them, when you face such closed defenses."
“Whoever has won the championship or achieved better placings has always had the best defense. From what I have seen, at this moment we need to acquire greater solidity when we play our game.
The important thing is to create chances in front of goal, sooner or later you will score. It depends on the moment.
The defensive phase, however, must be perfect when you attack with many men and tomorrow I want to see this"
he stressed.
Article published on 11 December 2023 - 15:05
