Former Napoli attacker Inacio Pia has suggested that the Azzurri must embrace their clash against Inter next weekend and ensure they don’t lose.
Luciano Spalletti’s side sit top of the table and would open up a 10 point gap over Inter with victory at the Stadio San Siro, but have a tough run of fixtures including Lazio, Atalanta, and AC Milan before the end of the year.
In an interview with Napolimagazine.com, Pia urged his former club not to be disheartened by a 1-1 draw against nine-man Hellas Verona last time out, and to go into their upcoming clashes against their rivals with confidence.
“Napoli’s draw with Verona was ok. The Azzurri have moved up in the table, but now there will be direct clashes in which Napoli will have to earn a result to keep the leadership,” the Brazilian stated.
“Verona are doing well, they run a lot and I think many teams will drop points against them. After the international break, Napoli will go to Milan to face Inter and then have Lazio at home. These are challenges to be won, or at least not to be lost, in order to maintain the positive run of results.
“I think they will be important matches for the Scudetto, considering that Milan will face Fiorentina and Sassuolo. On paper they may seem like simple matches, but the league always has surprises in store.”
The 39-year-old marked out the key players that could cause problems for Inter and felt that Napoli could win the match in midfield, particularly through Spain international Fabian Ruiz, and on the wings.
“I think Fabian Ruiz is more mature now, he has the confidence of his teammates, and is continuing to grow. [Matteo] Politano is fresher than [Hirving] Lozano at the moment, but they are both unpredictable players who can hurt the opponents.
“The five substitutions can make the difference in the title race. Juventus and Inter have a few more alternatives, but Napoli are no different,” he concluded.
Pia joined Napoli from Atalanta in 2005 and scored 16 goals in 79 appearances for the club. He also enjoyed spells in Italian football with Lecce and Torino most notably.
