Napoli leaves San Siro with a heavy draw and the knowledge that they played a truly tough game, never letting up. Giovanni Di Lorenzo, speaking to Sky Sport, described the 2-2 draw against Inter, achieved after two comebacks and a display of great mental strength. “I think it's a fair result based on what we saw. It was a hard-fought match. We knew we were facing a strong team, so we accepted the challenge.”
The Azzurri captain underlined the attitude shown by Napoli in the most delicate moments. "It was a game of character, of mentality. After going behind twice, we fought back and stayed in the game the entire time. That's what the coach asks of us." A strong signal, especially considering how the result arrived. “We come out of this match on a positive note. We've shown that we're a strong team, and we're happy.”
The performance goes beyond the single episode and speaks of identity. “It was a hard-fought match, with two teams trying to win until the end.” Di Lorenzo reiterates that nothing was a coincidence. "We had prepared like this; we expected them to start strong, but we stayed in the game and were rewarded for this attitude, for always believing in ourselves. I think this is the most positive aspect."
The worst has been averted. Giovanni Di Lorenzo has not ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, as initially feared after the injury he suffered against Fiorentina. Diagnostic tests have revealed a grade II sprain to his left knee, which will sideline the Napoli defender for approximately a month. The announcement was made…
After the 3-2 defeat against Chelsea that cost Napoli elimination from the Champions League, Giovanni Di Lorenzo is not looking for excuses and points the finger at the Azzurri's European campaign. «Maradona's applause at the end of the match? They are always with us regardless of the result, but we knew that. We wanted to win tonight and play a great match. It's a shame, but we certainly didn't lose tonight.»
The Italian defender acknowledges the value of the performance against the English, but broadens his gaze to previous matches. «We made too many mistakes along the way, we dropped too many points, it's a shame because tonight despite the result we played an excellent match, we tried to keep the pace high and put pressure on them, it's a shame about the result».
The draw in Copenhagen leaves more regrets than satisfaction, and Giovanni Di Lorenzo isn't looking for excuses. The Napoli captain lucidly analyzes the 1-1 draw against the Danes, who were down to ten men from the 35th minute, pointing to the second half as the real turning point of the match.
"We did the hardest thing, which was to get the lead. Then in the second half, we miscalculated our approach, coming back as if the score were 5-0 and not 1-0. You can't afford that in the Champions League, and at the first mistake, your opponents will put you in trouble.", Di Lorenzo told the microphones after the match, explaining how superficial management put Copenhagen back in the running.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
Napoli did well, but in my opinion they should have won the match instead of drawing. I don't know if their attitude was right; perhaps they needed more determination to score.