Carefree approach can help nervous Napoli, says coach
MILAN: Coach Maurizio Sarri says a more “carefree” approach could help Napoli unlock a Champions League last 16 place after a 3-2 defeat at home to Besiktas kept the Italians waiting.
Napoli welcomed the Turkish champions knowing a third consecutive Group B win, along with a Dinamo Kiev-Benfica draw, would secure entry to the knockout phase with three games to spare and set a new competition record.
But despite a promising start at the San Paolo, the hosts were wasteful in front of goal and paid the price for a glaring Jorginho blunder that saw Cameroonian forward Vincent Aboubakar give the visitors a 2-1 lead by the 38th minute.
Manolo Gabbiadini, demoted to the bench in place of Dries Mertens after 3-1 defeat to AS Roma last weekend, struck the leveller in the 69th minute after Lorenzo Insigne had missed the chance to equalise from the spot shortly after the restart.
But Napoli failed to capitalise on further chances and paid the ultimate price when Aboubakar headed Ricardo Quaresma’s free kick past Pepe Reina four minutes from the end.
Besiktas’ first group win since 2009 kept them in second place to sit just one point behind Napoli and they will be looking to relaunch their last 16 bid with a win next month.
Coach Senol Gunes said: “Now we have to face Napoli at home but it will be hard to get out of this group.”
Defeat for Napoli at the Vodafone Arena in Istanbul would spell disaster for the Azzurri on their first appearance in the group stages since 2013 when Walter Mazzarri’s side were eliminated behind Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal.
After their third consecutive defeat in all competitions, Sarri says a more “carefree” approach to their trademark flowing game could help settle nerves.
“We have to react and try to find a more carefree approach to our game,” said Sarri.
“We are going through a phase in which we are making matches complicated for ourselves and that is making everything more difficult.
“The team did well this evening apart from the moments where they lost confidence because of things which happened in the match.
“The missed penalty, for example, affected us for the following 10 minutes.
“We are playing well at times but there is that little nagging worry in our minds which leads to mistakes.”
But Sarri said it was still an improvement on Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by AS Roma in Serie A.
“We have to react and start enjoying our game again without all this worry and pressure, although this was a small step on the road to recovery,” he said.
Napoli finished runners-up in Serie A last season and started well this term, when they were unbeaten in their first eight games.
“People have put a label on us which does not belong,” Sarri said. “We have rejuvenated the team and so our journey will be longer than anyone thinks.”