Luciano Spalletti confirms Victor Osimhen will start against Milan in the Champions League and thanks Napoli fans for ending their protest during the draw with Verona. ‘If we do this thing, we will remain forever on the walls of Naples.’

The Partenopei absolutely dominated the match with over 80 per cent possession, yet managed only one shot on target in the final stages, not counting the Victor Osimhen scorcher that smashed against the crossbar after his comeback from a muscular injury.

Instead, Hellas saw their defence hold firm with four at the back in an experimental line-up and even threaten to win it on the counter-attack.

“Verona kept sitting deep, so we have to make this web of passes to find a way through. We didn’t do enough to create the gaps or make the most of them when they appeared,” Spalletti told DAZN.

“Possession must be done with balance, not fast and not slow. When you dig out that space, this is when you have to speed it up, but passes need to be kept simple, without touching the ball four times, without doing it too quickly so that you don’t know where the next move will be.

“The speed is at the end of a move, finalising it, but building out from the back you don’t need to rush things. You must understand where the spaces are.”

Napoli’s lead at the top of the Serie A table has been whittled down by Lazio, but is still a more than comfortable 14 points.

At least the return of Osimhen means he should be ready to face Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, where the Rossoneri grabbed a 1-0 first leg advantage.

“He’ll start, yes. Osimhen has this physicality and speed, you can throw the ball up to him and he can protect it, use his head or use a change of pace, he has so many different alternatives. He is a hero of these fans now, so there is always a wave of enthusiasm around him.

“These are players made of different stuff, they have so many solutions. They fill the box of delights with all their various characteristics.”

Kim Min-jae and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa are both suspended for that quarter-final decider.

“For that game we need a bit of everything, not just possession, but balance, moving the ball around well and being a team at all times. That is a quality you only have when the team is mature, consistent in attitude and keeping on your toes all the time. It’s not just about doing it when you play against Milan or in a Champions League quarter-final, it’s doing it all the time.”

The other good news is that the crowd has returned to cheering for Napoli, as today President Aurelio De Laurentiis met with the ultras leaders in a peace summit to end the protests.

“The fans are fundamental, I’ve said it many times. We had some great away performances in arenas where it was tough to hear the home crowd. This gives more strength to a team like ours, they feel supported and can bring the best out of themselves.

“There is so much love, passion and affection for the players, perhaps too much, and we will always thank them. If we manage to do this thing, we will remain forever on the walls of Naples. We will all become Maradona.”

Once again, Spalletti is refusing to say the word ‘Scudetto’ or refer to the Serie A title until it is mathematically clinched, but some murals are already up representing the current squad.

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