NAPOLI WANT EVERTON, ALLAN TO JOIN EVERTON

Serie A side Napoli want Everton Soares, hoping the Gremio star would join them this summer. However, the player’s agent has come out to deny reports of talks almost reaching a conclusion. The Brazilian’s father confirmed that they were in talks with the Italian side and that the club presented a project to them having been granted permission to have meetings with the player.

The agent Marcio Cruz told Italian outlets that he read lots of reports exaggerating the state of things between the player’s rep and the club. He said some outlets already deemed Everton a Napoli man, forcing him to come out to clear things up. Cruz agreed that Napoli were a top side in Europe, always competing for the Scudetto and qualifying for the Champions League. He knows the club has a good tradition and following but then the fine details of the deal were yet to be completed. In a season that has been hampered by the Corona Virus, he wants to be clear that the deal is not over the line yet.
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Failure for Napoli, Match Draw at SPAL

Napoli could not gain ground on Serie A as they were held back by a 1-1 draw in a struggling SPAL. Juventus and Inter Milan are known to be the pacesetters for Serie A in which Napoli was supposed include themselves after the supposed-to-win match. Though Arkadiusz Milik put them in front very early in the first half of the match, soon the side for Carlo Ancelotti fastened themselves by getting a strike from Jasmin Kurtic. Fabian Ruiz, who played as a substitute hit the post for the visitors because they were trying to push for the winner in the second half. This is the third time when the home side avoided getting defeated in this season.

Juventus and Inter Milan, who are positioned at first and second place respectively, were surprised to see draws made by Parma and Lecce, but the draw which came from Napoli left them at the 4th position with 17 points in the table. Team AS Roma shifted to 5th position after winning the match against AC Milan with 2-1 at Stadio Olimpico to carry on with the crisis of visitors. Edin Dzeko was able to lead the hosts from the front during the first half of the match before Theo Hernandez drew with the level of Milan in the second half.
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Napoli

On Saturday, Napoli had a great win by 3-2. Napoli emerged victorious after a debatable 1-0 loss to Inter Milan. Napoli was playing without Koulibaly, which gave a great chance to Ancelotti. Because of their tactical skills, Napoli got a lead as the ball came to Milik at the apex of a 6-yard box which was attempted by Mertens. Napoli’s hope for an easy win got vanished as Federico Santander headed which result into an equalizer at the 37th minute from an easy free kick. And the 2nd half started with the Napoli controlling the ball. Milik scored his second goal by the header in the 51st minute by a curling cross delivery by Malcuit. But in the 80th minute of the game, the hosts again made the score equal. As the situation became difficult for both the teams, the long-range strike by Mertensin the 88th minute confirmed a win for Napoli. The goal of the Mertens went under the outstretched arms of Bologna goalkeeper.

An absence of Koulibaly can be clearly seen in the match as Bologna scored 2 goals against Napoli. Throughout the season Koulibaly has helped Napoli from losing many games. As Zielinski moved back into the center next to Allan absence of Hamsik can be clearly seen. Even though Zielinski is a very talented and creative player but he cannot handle defense as Hamsik, which can be seen in between the game, where a gap between defense and the midfield was seemed to be a big problem.

Comparing to another season under Sarri, “it was unclear about Ancelotti’s preference about playing eleven“. Maybe it is due to players recovering from injuries or from summer signings. However, lack of rotation was the biggest strength for Sarri but it was also the biggest criticism for him. Compared to 44 points, this season Napoli were at the apex of the points table with 48 points in last season. Although “it is a nice end“ to the first half of the season as Napoli still have hope with the earning of 3 points.

Napoli needs to improve

Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti wants his team to improve. He said that their form has not been good in recent weeks and this has caused them to lose some points on Juventus. Indeed Napoli is currently eight points behind Juventus in Serie A and Carlo Ancelotti said that this is not good enough.

The former Chelsea manager said that the objective of the team was to challenge for the title and that they are far from being to do this at the moment. He said that the team needs to improve on the pitch and that the players need to work harder when they do not have the ball. He said that they have been guilty sometimes of waiting for the ball to arrive at their feet and not putting pressure on the opposition.

Carlo Ancelotti said that there is so much potential in the team and that at the moment he feels that they are underperforming. He said that they have to work on keeping possession of the ball and make sure that they do not give their opponents too much time on the ball.

“Carlo Ancelotti said that Napoli also has a good chance in the Champions League “ and that they should work first on getting out of their group. He “believes that the players “want to do well and that they desire to win trophies.

He said that they have made a slow start to the season and that they now have to be more consistent if they want to catch Juventus. He said that they need to learn how to kill off games and make sure that they do not underestimate opponents. Carlo Ancelotti said that they have lost so many points against teams that they thought they could beat easily and this is the main reason why they are eight points behind.

Napoli sitting in all too familiar position

Napoli have found themselves in an all too familiar position in pursuit of Juventus at the top of Serie A in the early stages of the campaign. Under Maurizio Sarri, the club almost ended the Bianconeri’s stranglehold on Italian football, only to lose out on the crown by four points. Their margin for error was non-existent and defeats at the hands of Roma and Fiorentina were to loom large. Sarri left Gil Azzurri at the end of the campaign to join Chelsea, while a former Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti made the decision to move to the Stadio San Paolo.

Early defeats to Sampdoria and to Juve have knocked them off the pace of Massimiliano Allegri’s side. Inter have joined the pursuit of Juventus at the top of the table, and although both teams have played well, the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo has appeared to make the Bianconeri almost unstoppable. The Portuguese has already played an important role for his team, saving them against Empoli on the road. It seems no matter what Ancelotti and his team do, they will always be playing catch up to Ronaldo and company.

Napoli sitting in all too familiar position

Napoli are six points off the pace so hope remains, with the club being backed in the latest Serie A betting odds at 13/2 to win the title. However, one of the questions will be whether that Juve can maintain their form over the course of the campaign and how players like Ronaldo, Mario Mandzukic and Giorgio Chiellini hold up with the rigours of the domestic and European seasons. Gli Azzurri do have the benefit of youth in their ranks at key positions, which could make a huge difference come the end of the term. It could be argued that the Juve dynasty is nearing its end, with the signing of Ronaldo used only to secure their ‘white whale’ – the Champions League.

Ancelotti’s side boast arguably the best defender in the world in Kalidou Koulibaly, who is in the prime of his career at the age of 27. Nikola Maksimovic, Mario Rui and Elseid Hysaj are all solid players and will improve with further time under Ancelotti’s tutelage. Sarri played an expansive style of football whereas Ancelotti is more traditional for Italian football. It could well make the difference in closing out matches where remaining tight at the back is more important than searching for further goals. Napoli are blessed with young talent in the middle of the park as well, with only Marek Hamsik being older than the age of 28. Between Allan, Piotr Zielinski and Fabian Ruiz there is stamina and quality to match Juve in the middle of the park.

The forward line is the main difference between Napoli and Juve. Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne are talented players, but their rivals have supreme quality in the form of Ronaldo, Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala. Until Ronaldo and Mandzukic are no longer present in the Juve ranks, Allegri’s men hold a crucial advantage. In two areas of the field, Napoli have comparable talent along with a coach that boasts arguably a more impressive record than his counterpart. The final third is the most important aspect of the field and it may be the reason why Napoli fall short again.

How will Napoli fare this season?

For all the comings and goings across Europe this transfer window, Napoli’s most significant transaction was the loss of their manager, Maurizio Sarri, to Chelsea. With the controversial and hard-nosed head coach gone, and with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus and a number of big names at Roma, few people are counting on Napoli going one better than last season and pipping the Turin side to the Serie A title.

But writing off this team might be premature – with a few intelligent signings and the arrival of a veteran who knows his way to success in Italy in Carlo Ancelotti, the summer may actually have been a positive one for the Naples side. This could be the year that the team live up to their promise and step out of Juventus’ shadow – and here are the reasons why.

New faces

Napoli’s summer signings have hardly caught the eyes of European football observers in comparison to their league rivals. But while Juventus have signed the world’s most famous footballer from Real Madrid and AC Milan have spent big to bring a host of sought-after names to the San Siro, Ancelotti has in fact carried out some savvy business which could help his team finally take the leap. Simone Verdi, a smart attacking player who captained Bologna last season, is coming off his best spell in Italian football. Finally settled after spending years on loan, he brings a pacey and skilful presence to the side’s attack, and should challenge Arkadiusz Milik for a place through the middle of the team sheet. With far better service this season, it would be no surprise to see Verdi’s scoring numbers take a big leap this season.

The arrival of Fabian from Real Betis brings a physical and versatile talent to the team’s midfield three. Equally comfortable in the centre of midfield or on the right wing, Fabian could provide creativity for the front three and will serve as a valuable back-up during Napoli’s Champions League campaign. The loss of Jorginho will hurt, but Fabian’s arrival will mitigate it – and a lack of other significant outgoings means that Napoli is a settled squad with a few notable re-enforcements. At 5/1 they could well be worth an outside bet to lift the trophy, and it may be worth looking at Oddschecker’s collection of free bet offerings and putting a flyer down.

Taking the leap

There will be ample opportunity for young players and those on the fringes of the side to make good on their potential this season, with a busy domestic and European schedule facing Ancelotti’s team. Fortunately, Napoli’s squad is not lacking players who fans have been waiting to see seize their chance in the side. Milik has impressed in the limited opportunities he’s been given while at the Italian club, but Sarri’s preference for playing the classy but diminutive Dries Mertens through the middle of the attack likely won’t be shared by Ancelotti. It could be that he opts for the physical presence of Milik more often than his predecessor did, so this season could be the one in which the young Pole makes his name on the European stage.

21-year-old Amadou Diawara, meanwhile, will surely be looked to step into the anchor role in the middle of midfield more this season after the departure of Jorginho. The physical player has a great eye for a pass and his instincts are impressive; he could be a thorn in the side of serval teams’ attacking players this year. The young Algerian winger Adam Ounas is another one to watch – he possesses pace and skill, and if he can add a final product to his mazy runs he’ll be a handful for fullbacks all season.

With a mix of new faces and a handful of players hoping to shine, Napoli have plenty to offer Serie A this year. Their new coach, meanwhile, has all the know-how needed to take a club to the title and juggle a chaotic European schedule. An outsider for success in the Champions League and in with a real chance of domestic joy, this year may not be as disappointing as Napoli fans might have feared earlier this summer.

Pep Guardiola Lauds Napoli as a Team to Fear

Pep Guardiola has held on Napoli as one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. Manchester City have been grouped alongside the Italian outfit in the 2017-18 group stages.

Even though City have been able to avoid a tough group, manager Guardiola says that Napoli should not be treated lightly. In the past, City have largely been drawn against the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Real Madrid in the group stages. It has led to repeated failings in the competition by City, who are yet to win the title even after spending vast sums of money.

Pep Guardiola has held on Napoli as one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. Manchester City have been grouped alongside the Italian outfit in the 2017-18 group stages.

Pep Guardiola Lauds Napoli as a Team to Fear

Napoli, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Feyenoord complete the group apart from Manchester City, and Guardiola says that every team in the group are extremely good in their own right. He is not expecting any easy matches in this stage of the competition. City qualify automatically for the group stages after finishing third in the table last season. They have made a good start to the season after a victory over Brighton, although the home draw against Everton is a slight disappointment. Napoli have been quite strong in the Italian Serie A without actually winning the league title, and it is down to Juventus dominating the competition for the last six years.

“When the third pot team is Napoli – the best team in the pot – it is complicated. In the Champions League we can expect pots one and two will be strong but today all the teams are strong.We’re going to face the team who played the best football in Italy.I’m not talking about winning. I like to watch the teams who want to play.In Italy, where the culture is defensive in the box, Napoli play 40 metres in front, a bit like Arrigo Sacchi did once [at AC Milan]. With the ball they are fantastic,” said Guardiola.

NAPOLI PLAY DRAW WITH SASSUOLO

Napoli has started the season not as good as they would have wanted and the draw with Sassuolo further dented their hopes of lifting the Serie A this term.

They were set to get a win but a late goal from Gregoire Defrel forced Napoli to share points with their visitors – their third straight stalemate in all competitions.

Napoli has started the season not as good as they would have wanted and the draw with Sassuolo further dented their hopes of lifting the Serie A this term.

They were set to get a win but a late goal from Gregoire Defrel forced Napoli to share points with their visitors – their third straight stalemate in all competitions.

Lorenzo insigne got the match opener, cutting in from the left before his deflected striker got past the visiting shot stopper Andrea Consigli in the 42nd minute. After the break, Sassuolo’s performance got better. They had suffered four straight losses in the league, and were condemned yet another loss to Napoli. However, Marcello Gazzola sent in a nice cross from the right that Defrel volleyed to the back of the net. The late effort ensured both teams shared the spoils equally.

In another game, Serie A title hopefuls Inter Milan defeated 10-man Fiorentina team 4-2. New Inter boss Stefano Pioli got his first victory since taking over after the sack of Frank De Boer. The win is a good comeback after losing to Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the Europa League. The loss saw them exit the continental tournament, despite going two goals up first.

Inter grabbed three quick goals to go 3-0 before the 20th minute. Marcelo Brozovic – a goal scorer in the last Europa League game, Antonio Candreva, and Mauro Icardi – another goal scorer in the Europa League clash with the Israeli side.

Nikola Kalinic scored one for Fiorentina and Josip Ilicic got the second to end the game 4-2. The victory for Inter means they are the first club to defeat Fiorentina in seven league games.

NAPOLI SHARE POINTS WITH LAZIO

Napoli were held down in the Serie A title race as Balde Keita cancelled out MarekHamsik’s second-half opener in less than three minutes to earn Lazio a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s clash at the Stadio San Paolo.

Maurizio Sarri’s men were aiming to get back onto the winning lane after losing 2-1 to the defending champions, Juventus last week. The hosts made a strong approach to the match as Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne tirelessly challenged Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti which brought him into action in the opening 45 minutes.

Ciro Immobile was Lazio’s main danger man and Juventus threat, with a frequent attack that came quite close to breaking the deadlock early in the second half. Former Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina was just able to keep out his first attempt, before he aimed just wide from a narrow angle shortly after.

Hamsik then found the net in the 52nd minute after a beautiful piece of skill, dancing past Wallace and DusanBasta before passing by Marchetti with a low left-footed shot in the far corner.

Lazio hit back in less than three minutes later which leveled the game. Keita shrugged off VladChiriches and shocked Reina with a low shot in the near corner to make it 1-1.

Napoli emerged forward in a bid to reclaim their lead, but there would be no more goals as Marchetti frustrated the in-form Hamsik, Elseid Hysaj and the strong Manolo Gabbiadini to help Lazio hold onto the one snatched point.

The result helps Lazio maintain the fourth position with 22 points gathered from 12 games having won six, drawn four and lost two. The hosts, on the other hand, are one point below Atlanta who settle on the fifth position having trashed Sassuolo 3-0 on Sunday to secure the same points with Lazio.

Napoli stronger without Higuain

Pepe Reina has stated that Napoli is a better side without Gonzalo Higuain in the team.

He said that the sale of Higuain has allowed the club to strengthen various positions and this has made them become a much better side. He stated that they have a good manager in Maurizio Sarri and that the latter is constantly looking for ways to improve the team.

Pepe Reina has stated that Napoli is a better side without Gonzalo Higuain in the team.

Reina said that their main rival for the title is Juventus and admitted that it would not be easy to win the title against them. He believes that Juventus has a much better squad, but this does not mean that Napoli will not fight for the title. He said that the manager wants to put the pressure on Juventus and protect his players.

Pepe Reina admitted that the loss of Milik through injury is a bad thing for the club. He said that the club is already short on players and now missing a quality player such as Milik will be a big hurdle for the team.

However, he believes that the other players will rise to the occasion and make sure that the team does not get affected by the absence of Milik. He believes that the younger players could also seize this opportunity to get some time in the first team. He said that the players are motivated and that they want to have a good season. They are working hard under the guidance of their manager and want to continue progressing.

He said that he was disappointed with the sale of Higuain, but there was nothing the club could do. He stated that this is part of modern football and the bigger clubs can just trigger the release clause of good players. He believes that the money has been invested wisely and that Napoli has become a stronger club with the sale of Higuain.