Former Inter Sporting Director Marco Branca expects Inter’s Serie A clash with Napoli to be a match in which both teams will feel massive pressure to get a result.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli, the former Nerazzurri striker and executive emphasized how getting the mentality right will be important to get anything out of the match.
Napoli and AC Milan both drew to within a point of the Nerazzurri on the weekend, albeit with Inter having a game in hand.
Inter will be hoping to bounce back from their derby defeat at the hands of the Rossoneri by returning to winning ways against their other main Scudetto rivals.
However, facing the Partenopei away in Naples looks to be one of the toughest tests of the Nerazzurri’s season, not just because of the quality of their opposition, but also, as Branca emphasizes, because of the stakes involved.
“Napoli against Inter will be a wonderful match full of pressure,” he said. “In matches like this you have to have concentration and composure because there won’t be many opportunities to score.”
Asked whether Napoli could have an advantage due to Inter dealing with cup competitions, Branca replied “Without question, yes.”
“Moreover, they’ll have two players coming back from the African Cup of Nations, and this should improve the overall morale of the rest of the squad,” he added.
“This year, we have seen that those who had COVID had problems with their fitness,” he continued. “However, in general, it’s always helpful to have a few more days to train and this is an advantage for Napoli.”
Branca predicted a three-team race for the Serie A title, stating that “This season has shown that if you don’t kill off matches they can change dramatically in the last 15-20 minutes, as we saw in the derby the other night.”
“Inter, in fact, didn’t deserve to lose then but they lost,” he went on. “This also applies to the games against the smaller teams, who often play better than the big sides.”