Cannavaro still upbeat despite stalemate

Napoli skipper Paolo Cannavaro believes his side can still have a successful season despite an unexpected draw against Brescia on Sunday.

The Naples club kept their eighth successive clean sheet at the Stadio San Paolo in the Serie A but were unable to find the back of the net and were forced to share the spoils with the strugglers, who sit 19th in the league.

The 0-0 result leaves Napoli in third and eight points behind table-toppers AC Milan, but Cannavaro says his side need to stay relaxed.

“In the first half we played as the coach wanted us to play, then we got nervous because we couldn’t score,” Cannavaro said, before admitting his side were perhaps lucky to come away with a point.

“At the end we risked a lot and there was too much movement and action from Brescia. We were a bit lucky but their actions came from our mistakes, because we were playing very high up the pitch.”

“We need to stay calm and keep believing we can still do great things.”

Cannavaro admitted the side missed suspended striker Ezequiel Lavezzi, and that he is looking forward to the Argentine returning to action.

“Well, El Pojo (Ezequiel Lavezzi) is a very important player, we know it, but we have also won matches without him and we cannot depend on a single player,” he said.

“Of course in a match like the one we played today he could have been useful and could have scored a goal. Luckily enough, he will be back on Sunday.”

Lavezzi’s return will come at Parma on Sunday, with Napoli needing a victory to keep ahead of fourth-placed Lazio.