Naples, show who you are! The decisive week of the Azzurri begins tonight, both in terms of the championship and in Europe. But if the challenge against Arsenal seems at least prohibitive, so not for today's match against Udinese, which Benitez's men must win at all costs if they still want to nurture dreams of the Scudetto. “I really like Guidolin's team – explained the Spaniard. – Even against Juve he played a great game. We'll have to be careful and concentrated because they can be very dangerous on restarts."
The risk is that someone could take the field with their head towards the Champions League, but Benitez doesn't even want to consider the hypothesis. “It's my duty to motivate the team properly – he retorted in the press conference. – From this point of view we won't have problems with Arsenal, but all the matches we face are important”. But it's not just the motivations that make Don Rafè think. That in the last few days he has had to register some important defections, above all those of Behrami, Reina and Hamsik. And if the Swiss and the Spanish make it, it's not the same for the Slovak, who will once again be stuck in the pits. A big headache for Benitez, far from sure of recovering Marek also for Arsenal. “He had a foot injury, he has to reabsorb the edema – explained the coach. – We don't want to risk anything, we wait to understand how he is. He won't be there against Udinese, and it's complicated for the Champions League as well”.
If he wants to overcome this important triptych unscathed (after Udinese and Arsenal there will be Inter), Benitez will first of all have to restore the rearguard, which has conceded twelve goals in the last six games. “On the wings we lost Zuniga and Mesto who alternated with Maggio and Armero, we are looking for the best balance. That 25% that is missing (in the past Rafa had said that Napoli are only 75% fit, ed) is precisely related to the defensive phase. We have to be intense and aggressive, but also lucid when it's time to restart. However, after a victory like the one against Lazio, it's easier to correct mistakes." Against an Udinese without Di Natale, Rafa will field the usual 4-2-3-1. Reina will be in goal, Maggio, Albiol, Fernandez and Reveillere in defence, Inler and Dzemaili in midfield, Callejon, Pandev, Insigne on the trocar and Higuain in attack.
