Last night Napoli produced a superb display to win 3-0 at title rivals Inter.
I have to admit that I have been more of casual viewer of Italian football in recent years than an avid fan.
However I have to say that the recent exploits of Napoli have attracted me back to watching Serie A on a more regular basis.
Fortune
Some Inter fans will complain about the sending off of Joel Obi and it was probably harsh considering the fact the Nigerian’s first booking wasn’t even a foul, never mind a booking. However Napoli took full advantage of the extra space on the pitch.
Progress
Napoli are a work in progress but they have came a long way in the last 18 months. The Azzurri finished a surprise third in Serie A last season and under head coach Walter Mazzarri and are looking like a real threat to the established order.
The club have now beaten champions AC Milan and Inter already this season. I had my doubts over whether they could really challenge for the Serie A title this season but they are strengthening their claims with every victory over their rivals.
Underrated
Napoli’s team is full of quality players. The likes of Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik get the plaudits but the rest of the team are underrated. The likes of tireless midfielders Christian Maggio and Walter Gargano play an important role in the team winning games.
Tactics
Walter Mazzarri seems to have found the perfect tactical formation for his Napoli team. The 3-4-3 seems to suit the players down to the ground. They all know their jobs within the team and cover each other when a player steps out of position.
Inter’s former-boss Gian Piero Gasperini tried to get his team to play a 3-4-3 when he was in charge of the Nerazzurri but the players just couldn’t adapt to his thinking. Its about knowing your players and Mazzarri knows his players and what they can and can’t do.
Counter-attack
Napoli are the king of the counter-attack in Italy and that style is helped by the fluidity of the teams formation. Their counter-attacking style helped them gain a draw at Manchester City in the Champions League and I’m sure they will gain many more creditable results in Europe this season.
Historic
This Napoli team really has the potential to make history. The Azzurri won the Scudetto in 1987 and 1990 thanks mainly to the presence of the great Diego Maradona. The Argentinian also inspired the club to win the UEFA Cup in 1989.
And it seems the people of Naples believe that this team are the best since Maradona’s great team of the late-eighties. Optimism is high in the south of Italy that the Azzurri can again be the best team in the Italian top flight.
The current team may not quite have an individual of Maradona’s quality but they do have two very talented young South American attackers in the shape of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani.
It also seems that there is a great team spirit amongst the Napoli squad. To have talented players and a good team spirit is a winning combination in anyone’s book.
Belief
This summer a lot of Napoli’s top players were linked with moves to bigger clubs. However they all stayed and I think that could be a sign that those young talented players have a belief that they can win trophies in Naples.
I have to say I have enjoyed watching Napoli games and it would be a breath of fresh air if they could win the Serie A title this season. The Milan giants have had it their own way for far too long. Its about time a new team were crown champions and I’m hopeful that that team could be the club from Southern Italy.
Can Napoli win the Serie A title this season?
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