Oohvonkyvonky
Well-Known Member
Re: Napoli V Manchester City Pre-Match Thread
Write up from the Guardian.... I think both sets of fans are up for this!
The reality is that Napoli have failed so far this season to recapture the scintillating form that led them to a title challenge last term. While the capacity for devastating counterattacking football remains, it has been seen only in patches – most notably during the first meeting with City. A squad that were perhaps not quite ready for the dual demands of league and Champions League campaigns have too often looked fatigued, while Mazzarri's attempts to rotate the team before big European games have invariably backfired.
Most importantly, though, key performers have lacked their customary sharpness. Edinson Cavani suffered a punctured tyre on his way home from dinner after the draw against Lazio, but it is his flat performances on the pitch that have been of greater concern. The man after whom a city has now named not only a calzone, but also a coffee and a brand of liqueur, has still managed a respectable four goals from nine league games – but at the corresponding point last season he had eight.
Similarly, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik have not quite hit the heights they are capable of, even if the former did score his first goal at home in over a year against Udinese last month. It is also true that they are victims in part of their own success. As opponents have become more aware of Napoli's counterattacking prowess, they have tended to sit back more and challenge Mazzarri's side to break them down – something this team have struggled to do.
But the one thing Napoli can be assured of on Tuesday night is raucous backing. A fanbase who made themselves heard loud and clear as a minority at Eastlands have been waiting for matches like this since the days of Diego Maradona. Queues lasting several hours have been a common sight at ticket kiosks across the city in recent days and the club is expecting its highest ever gate receipts from this match.
Write up from the Guardian.... I think both sets of fans are up for this!
The reality is that Napoli have failed so far this season to recapture the scintillating form that led them to a title challenge last term. While the capacity for devastating counterattacking football remains, it has been seen only in patches – most notably during the first meeting with City. A squad that were perhaps not quite ready for the dual demands of league and Champions League campaigns have too often looked fatigued, while Mazzarri's attempts to rotate the team before big European games have invariably backfired.
Most importantly, though, key performers have lacked their customary sharpness. Edinson Cavani suffered a punctured tyre on his way home from dinner after the draw against Lazio, but it is his flat performances on the pitch that have been of greater concern. The man after whom a city has now named not only a calzone, but also a coffee and a brand of liqueur, has still managed a respectable four goals from nine league games – but at the corresponding point last season he had eight.
Similarly, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik have not quite hit the heights they are capable of, even if the former did score his first goal at home in over a year against Udinese last month. It is also true that they are victims in part of their own success. As opponents have become more aware of Napoli's counterattacking prowess, they have tended to sit back more and challenge Mazzarri's side to break them down – something this team have struggled to do.
But the one thing Napoli can be assured of on Tuesday night is raucous backing. A fanbase who made themselves heard loud and clear as a minority at Eastlands have been waiting for matches like this since the days of Diego Maradona. Queues lasting several hours have been a common sight at ticket kiosks across the city in recent days and the club is expecting its highest ever gate receipts from this match.