Napoli's Buongiorno admits: "We lacked energy, Benfica overwhelmed us with intensity."

Alessandro Buongiorno, speaking to Prime, tries to explain the night that engulfed Napoli in Lisbon. He doesn't talk about fate or incidents, but rather about a team that quickly found itself out of rhythm. “We knew it was going to be tough, but they turned up the intensity a lot more than we were able to,” He says with a frankness that betrays bitterness and awareness. The defender admits that Napoli failed precisely where it was most needed: “At these levels, if you lack a shred of energy, you quickly end up struggling.”

The match, told this way, appears to be a steep climb, made even more difficult by the attempt to recover in the second half. This decision forced the Azzurri to take risks and created a growing vulnerability. “In the second half we tried to force something, but we exposed ourselves too much and they punished us easily,” adds Buongiorno, acknowledging that lucidity has not accompanied pride.

His gaze, more than defensive, is turned towards what will be needed to get back on track: "We can't write this game off as a bad night. We have to work on every mistake, because in the Champions League they don't forgive you for one." A statement that leaves little room for interpretation and calls on Napoli to respond immediately and concretely.