The maturity of Napoli 2
Napoli without Insigne, Osimhen and Fabian Ruiz struggles to sink throughout the first half, naively suffers a cold goal but keeps the ball in the game, suffers without capitulating, also thanks to a bit of luck, then, when the fatigue slackens the woody opponents, overturns the result with two penalties. And Napoli three, made up of gods, thinks about spreading reinforcements of reinforcements. Which shows how much quality there is in the Castelvolturno locker room.
Ounas is Insigne’s alter ego, and is just waiting for a chance to show off his very rich technical potential. Mertens has finally come out of his long convalescence, and shows it with the brilliant corridor that favors Lozano’s goal. In this team he cannot play as first striker, but he will not be useful for that. Demme and Lobotka are the honest Centromedians we left, but it’s one thing to play alongside Bakayoko, it’s quite another to have Anguissa covering your back and, if necessary, it substitutes you in directing, with the gift of an ubiquity made up of great athletic condition but also of tactical wisdom.
Petagna is proudly the bad copy of Osimhen, albeit with at least five extra pounds. He pretended to stay in blue and was satisfied, then lose weight like an athlete has to do, because Spalletti will still need him. Between Napoli one and Napoli two is Lozano, the strongest of the Azzurri in one-on-one. In games like the one in Warsaw, a player like the Mexican is worth gold, not only because he pierces the opponent’s web as few know, but because his game stretches the team and instills courage.
Palletizing without an alternative of depth is a cuddly bull. To win in Europe, but also in Italy, you need to be able to change the scheme. It means a wide repertoire of tactical solutions, especially on the flanks. To understand it, it would be enough to find the game volume developed by Napoli on the right wing with the one on the left wing: Lozano and Di Lorenzo they built the best plays, Elmas failed to do the same, e John Jesus he hasn’t even tried. The Macedonian must have more courage if he is to have space in this group.
It remains to be noted that the goals scored have restored confidence to Zielinski, cold in putting the penalty in yesterday, ignoring the provocation of the opposing goalkeeper. He is not yet the leader capable of taking on the shoulders, as one would expect from a gifted athlete but with a purely mental limit. But he is recovering, and this is already a good sign for Spalletti. The first place in the league and in the cup is an unprecedented responsibility for this group. But the Azzurri’s performances fully legitimize it. Not only for the seasonal record of twelve wins, two draws and one defeat, and thirty-four goals scored and nine conceded. But for the domination of the game which is, at home and away, a constant in almost all the Napoli matches. The ball possession is not guaranteed that victory will come, but certifies that it is wanted at any cost, because it is in the logic of the balance of power on the pitch. It’s called character, and it’s a happy discovery for the Azzurri.