Napoli Coach Maurizio Sarri warns Benfica will be “very difficult” opponents in the Champions League tomorrow.
The Partenopei won their first game of this year’s competition, but face tough test against the Portuguese giants tomorrow.
“I think the team is ready,” Sarri assured in his pre-match Press conference. “They’re aware this match will be very difficult. Benfica are very strong, I’ve seen all their games and they control the game with no problem.
Napoli Coach Maurizio Sarri warns Benfica will be “very difficult” opponents in the Champions League tomorrow.
The Partenopei won their first game of this year’s competition, but face tough test against the Portuguese giants tomorrow.
“I think the team is ready,” Sarri assured in his pre-match Press conference. “They’re aware this match will be very difficult. Benfica are very strong, I’ve seen all their games and they control the game with no problem.
“They have an excellent level of organisation, they have technique and they also have quality to we’re talking about one of the strongest sides in Europe.
“Last year they went out in the Quarter-Finals after giving Bayern Munich a fright.
“They build well from the back, they have strong defenders from a technical point of view, they’re well-organised and have a great, technical midfield.
“Then they have [Eduardo] Salvio and Pizzi on the wings, and they’re great on the ball, they have a lot of talent.
“It’s not easy to win the ball back quickly from them, because they have technique and the ability to dribble. You can’t force them into an error.
“Then up-front they have [Gonçalo] Guedes who I like a lot, he made a big impression on me.
“We’ll try to control the game, but we’ll see.
“The average level of the Italian League is higher than it is in Portugal, but they’ve been at the top in Europe.
“The results speak for them, but having seen their games I think our football is, on average, better as a League.
“Compared to Kiev it’s even more difficult, we have important margins for growth in terms of our mentality so I hope can grow again.”
How important will a packed San Paolo be tomorrow night?
“We hope it will be, but they’re used to playing in big stadiums.”