The ecstasy of Napoli’s stunning 5-1 annihilation of Juventus was tempered slightly by a wholly unexpected Coppa Italia defeat against Cremonese that somehow showed what the Partenopei need to be crowned Serie A champions this season, writes Stephen Kasiewicz

Tears were shed in the aftermath of the round of 16 loss at Stadio Diego Maradona as a vastly altered Partenopei team – which was eventually bolstered by several first-team regulars as substitutes – eventually fell to a huge upset as the Grigiorossi celebrated an unlikely triumph on penalties.

The Coppa Italia was probably not high on the list of priorities for coach Luciano Spalletti who nevertheless expressed his dissatisfaction on a night to forget for the Gli Azzurri.

Perhaps the most deflating aspect of the upset for the Partenopei tactician was that none of the replacements significantly advanced their prospects of displacing the starters.  Only stand-in captain Eljif Elmas furthered his cause to be included as the Serie A leaders travel to chaos-engulfed Salernitana on Saturday.

The North Macedonian midfielder had sarcastically claimed the bench was his best friend earlier in the campaign. It was a misplaced statement of frustration, but the 23-year-old enhanced his cause with another encouraging display despite the cup exit.

Elmas, who netted the fifth goal in Napoli’s sensational 5-1 rout of the Bianconeri, may be called upon anyway as wing maestro Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will miss the trip to Salerno due to a bout of the flu.

There were few instances of the aesthetically pleasing football Spalletti emphasized as Cremonese ground out an unlikely win on spot-kicks after the tie ended 2-2 at the conclusion of extra time.

The majestic Kvaratskhelia and leading scorer Victor Osimhen thrive on the movement which opens up corridors of space to reduce opposing teams to gawking onlookers. An unfamiliar starting line-up only sporadically shone in a disjointed and ultimately flawed performance.

Neither strikers Giovanni Simeone nor Giacomo Raspadori did enough to enhance their causes in rare starting opportunities. It also underlined the essential contributions of the often underappreciated full-backs Mario Rui and Giovanni Di Lorenzo in the process of threading together fluid passages of forward interplay.

Spalletti will not stray from his full-strength team again – or likely allow the Valentine’s Day-themed cursed kiss shirts to be worn again – as the Gli Azzurri aim to inflict further misery on lowly, out of-sorts Salernitana.

It would be a major eye-opener if all the big hitters do not return and an enormous shock if the Granata emerge with anything. Hammered 8-2 by Atalanta beleaguered Salernitana coach Davide Nicola was sacked and rehired in the space of two days in a mini-drama which could only play out in the eternally unpredictable world of Italian football.

Regardless of the derby della Campania outcome, Napoli will be crowned winter champions for the sixth time in their history. They won their only two Scudetti in the 1986-87 and 1989-90 seasons after topping the table at the halfway stage, while losing out on the championship from the same position in the 1987-88, 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 terms.

A steadfast adherence to the high pressing, risk-taking Spalletti philosophy, consistency of selection and the otherworldly effectiveness of the Kvaratskhelia-Osimhen tandem – who have combined for 19 league goals already – will be essential elements if the current Partenopei side are to make history again.

The phenomenally talented pair have flourished as media from Italy and in other more implausible destinations across the globe lavished praise on their incredible exploits.

Inevitable and risible non-stories concerning moves to English Premier League clubs appear daily, but the prospect of either leaving the most thrilling and entertaining club in Europe seem distant for now at least. Not that anyone could afford them.

In an avaricious football climate, which places preposterously over-the-top transfer values on emerging players – €100m-man Mykhailo Mudryk the latest ludicrous example – the spectacular duo’s worth might as well be in the billions. While it may be an unpopular sentiment, it is also time to rein in the ‘Kvaradona’ mentions. 

At the pinnacle of his greatness, Maradona soared so high that he left everyone else as unidentifiable objects from above. No one else, past, or present, has come close to reaching the exalted level of the Argentinian legend.

The 21-year-old magician, who has already stated that he is flattered by the nickname but prefers ‘Kvara’, surely does not need to be burdened further by the crushing weight of expectation that accompanies the lavish moniker. After Saturday’s derby della Campania, Napoli will need him in peak form and condition more than ever if they are to avoid undesired results in their continued pursuit of an elusive third Serie A title.

@SKasiewicz

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tickets Kit Collector