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Extended Clip - Can Napoli Win The Champions League?
1.4k Plays3 years ago
After another Napoli masterclass in the Champions League, this time against Eintracht Frankfurt, Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Garganese discuss and analyze the chances of Luciano Spalletti's men going all the way.
This is a clip from the weekly Thursday episode of the Italian Football Podcast.
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Transcript
Napoli's Champions League Potential
00:00:05
Speaker
So the question is, how far can Napoli go in the Champions League this season? Can they go all the way?
00:00:15
Speaker
I think so. I keep saying, I said after the group stages, they're my dark horse to win the Champions League and I stand by that. And I mean, before the season, I said, I think they are the team that are going to go the furthest of all the Italian teams because of the style that they play. And I think that's what, you know, any European football, usually the European Cup level at the Champions League, that's the kind of football that does the best, right?
00:00:35
Speaker
I think they are a dark horse, absolutely.
Challengers vs. Favorites: Napoli's Position
00:00:39
Speaker
If the draw allows them to avoid Bayern Munich in Man City, why not? More of a dark horse? Would you describe them as more of a dark horse now? Yeah, I think so. Is dark horse the right way to describe this? I think so. I don't think they're the favourites. For me, City and Bayern are favourites. They play the sheer firepower in their arsenal, even when it's not looking.
00:01:05
Speaker
even when it's not working, sorry, for them, they just have the killer instinct. I think challenger or potential challenger is probably the right way to describe it. I think they're more than a dark course now. I would say dark course, you'd probably call them that in the group stages. Now they're in the knockouts. But I think that we have to, what we do have to look at the other side of things is the lack of experience
The Importance of Experience in the Champions League
00:01:29
Speaker
is the big issue for me. They've never ever played in a quarterfinal in their history. So if they go through, which we'd expect them to, how will they handle it? And Carlo Ancelotti spoke, if you see his post-match press conference to Real Madrid's comeback win against Liverpool at Anfield, they were 2-0 down after 14 minutes in that game. You know, most people would think at Anfield, regardless of Liverpool's form this season,
00:01:52
Speaker
You're playing at Anfield, you're 2-0 down. You're going to get blitzed. You're going to get absolutely blasted away. They come back on 1-5-2 in that game. And Ancelotti spoke about how the experience of his players made the difference when they were 2-0 down. And, you know, having players like, you know, that have been there and won multiple Champions League and played in the latter stages and handled these situations.
Napoli's Response to Challenges and Experience Concerns
00:02:12
Speaker
You know, when the games get on the knife edge with Napoli, which they will do later on against the very biggest teams,
00:02:20
Speaker
you know, how will Napoli handle it? So far, though, you know, Napoli have answered every question. Now, we've even asked this question in Serie A, how would they handle it after they lost to Inter and suddenly the gap is closed and they're playing Juventus and was it Milan or Inter had the chance to close it further before they played that game? You know, how would they handle that? Well,
00:02:38
Speaker
They went on a winning run. So far, they've answered every question. But you can't get away from that lack of experience. You just can't buy that. And if you look at the team, not just experience, but the lack of winners in the Napoli team, how many players in this Napoli team have won major trophies before? Di Lorenzo has won the Euros. Lozano has won the area de Visi.
00:03:00
Speaker
then you're struggling. I mean, who else is there? I mean, I don't know if I'm missing anyone, but I can't think of anyone that's actually won, you know, nobody that's won or played in, you know, big games in the Champions League later stages. I mean, you know, so that is going to be the big question mark. It always is. But then they do have a lot going for them, which some of the other challengers in this Champions League won't have.
The Impact of Serie A on Napoli's Champions League Journey
00:03:23
Speaker
The lead in Serie A, I think, definitely can help. Being 15 points clear,
00:03:27
Speaker
And having that possibility, if they keep that up, of being able to arrest players before before Champions League and around Champions League games will be massive. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, they play that they play the return leg Napoli in three weeks time. Then the first leg of the the the quarterfinals won't be till April if I'm not mistaken after the international break. Yeah, I think I'm correct in saying that. So you're looking at, you know,
00:03:54
Speaker
six weeks away before the before the next I mean by then Napoli if there's 15 points clear they can they can realistically play their reserves before every single Champions League in the game before every Champions League game you know and have a whole week rest you know which will be massive you know if they're playing against
00:04:12
Speaker
a Premier League team that are playing in such high intensity matches that a few days before Napoli go into that game, that will help them.
Key Players: Kvara and Osseman's Influence
00:04:22
Speaker
But I also, I mean, I have to look at, you know, the two world-class players they have in attack. I mean, I really think they keep Kvara and Osseman fit. I think they're that good. They experience or no experience and they're fearless, both of them. You know, I think they have a chance because anyone with those two, those two are fit and, you know, on form.
00:04:42
Speaker
You can't rule them out with those two. That's how highly I rate them, these players.
Napoli vs. Premier League Teams: Realistic Expectations
00:04:49
Speaker
I think they're both five in their position. I just want to have one thing. Can we not make too much out of this Premier League thing? Because we all knew Real Madrid were going to beat Liverpool. Very expected. But the rest, it's not over. And there's no doubt in my mind that City are going to go through against the light position at home.
00:05:07
Speaker
I feel Chelsea will see off Dortmund at home as well and it's going to be really difficult. So I think let's not read too much into it. The ties are not over. The only team that I'm comfortable with, the only Italian team I'm comfortable to say that has gone through is Napoli because I think they will absolutely destroy Eintracht.
00:05:24
Speaker
at the Maradona but other than that it's far from over so I don't think we can read too much into this Premier League club's losing and it's like again it's like what three weeks away until the second leg return which I don't like so between the first and the second leg for each team so let's be a bit you know cautious here.
Napoli's Chances Against Man City
00:05:45
Speaker
Yeah the Premier League teams of course they're incredibly dangerous and Man City especially you don't want to play them but you know even if all the Premier League teams go through I think
00:05:54
Speaker
You know, Napoli, you know, Napoli, they've got nothing to fear. You know, even in years gone by, I would never want to play Man City. I'd be scared shitless of playing them. Now, you know, Napoli play against Man City. In that Man City, you're going to be favorites to win that. Of course they are. But I would give I would be.
00:06:10
Speaker
confident that Napoli have a chance of going through. I wouldn't have said that in past years because I don't think Man City are the same team. So you're looking at the other challenges in this competition as well and I think that's an important point. Of course luck will also play a role, keeping players fit.
External Factors: Referees and Penalty Concerns
00:06:27
Speaker
not getting an anti-Italian ref. We actually had some good calls for once this week in the Champions League. I mean, I thought the Moani red card was a little bit harsh, personally. I don't think it really mattered for the tie because Napoli were battering them before against the Leathermen and they battered them with Timon. But once that red card happened, the game was over.
00:06:45
Speaker
You know, there was no chance of Frankfurt. But the thing is like the referee, the laws of the game as they've been interpreted and applied, I know there's no intent in that red card, absolutely, but it doesn't matter. By the laws, it probably is a red card. It is. I still thought it was harsh. I still thought it was harsh. It's like Alexei Sanchez last year against Liverpool. You can't do that. You're no longer allowed to do that. When Maradona was playing, you could do that and then some.
00:07:14
Speaker
but it was so unfortunate though the way that he just had the other foot on the ball and he was just a little bit late and he had his foot up which is just a natural instinct of what you do you know when you're challenging for a ball you put your foot up a little bit and it wasn't over the ball i mean i thought it was i let's just say it was unlucky um but yeah those the kind of decisions but what i mean my point overall point is that those the kind of decisions that you you know
00:07:37
Speaker
that you need to go your way. Often those decisions don't go against Italian teams. Those 50-50 or 60-40 decisions, they often don't go anywhere. We need those decisions to go our way. Even the inter-game, it was a definite red card for Ottavia, but we need these decisions going for us, basically.
00:07:54
Speaker
Uh, you know, love Tara could have got booked in that game, you know, these are kind of decisions and it would have been out the second leg, you know, these are the kind of decisions that, you know, we need a bit of luck as well. The refs don't want to have a terrible ref that, that, that, that shafts us. Uh, but one thing that Napoli do need to sort out is, um,
00:08:11
Speaker
They need to sort out their penalties. They've missed three of six penalties in the Champions League this season, and they also missed one in the league. I mean, they were rotating penalties before until Kavara has taken the last two. He scored one, now he's missed one. They need to sort this out, Napoli, because late in the competition, this could be the difference between going out, going through and going out, whether it's in normal time or if it goes to a penalty shootout, which is very possible. It's going to be a lot more penalty shootouts going forward in Champions League because of there's no away goals.
00:08:38
Speaker
rule anymore. There'll be loads more. So there's a very real possibility one of their tyres could go to penalties. Now, if one of Napoli's tyres goes to penalties, I'm sorry, but they're going out. They're going out. They're not going through on a penalty shootout with these penalty takers because they all look that there's none of them have got any confidence. So they need to go on the training ground and just take penalty after penalty after penalty.
Team Spirit: Napoli's Core Strength
00:09:01
Speaker
i don't know sort themselves out because that that is a clear weakness in this team is their penalties um but you know other than that they look like the complete scene they showed they could defend in this game in the first 10-15 minutes they can defend they can attack um
00:09:16
Speaker
And they showed their togetherness as well. Look at the spirit in this team. You look at Ossiman going straight to Gavada after that penalty miss, putting his chin up, showing him, you know, it doesn't matter. Don't worry about it. You know, these are, these are the things like Ossiman, he's on the bench, cheering on his team whenever he comes off, you know, it's, they, they're all in this together. So yeah, why not?
00:09:36
Speaker
No, absolutely.
Strategic Opponents: Avoiding Citi and Bayern
00:09:39
Speaker
I think the draw as well. As long as they can avoid Citi and Bayern, I think they can beat anyone else. I'm Madrid. I mean, you don't want to play Madrid. Part of me wants them to play Madrid because I think they...
00:09:55
Speaker
I think they have a good chance against Real Madrid. I don't think Liverpool are very good, I gotta be honest with you. And I think we've seen that this season throughout. Everything about Liverpool has the hallmarks of an end of an era, from ownership to management to squad to the key players to the coach.
Opportunities Against a Declining Liverpool
00:10:13
Speaker
I think it's got that feeling about it that it's getting old and stale and they need to start all over again.
00:10:22
Speaker
Um, and, and so I think I'm not surprised at all by Liverpool being as poor as they are. Um, but no, uh, I I'd like to, I think Napoli can beat Real Madrid without a doubt.