Naples for history in Nice. Not that qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League, after the fairly reassuring 2-0 in the first leg in Naples, would be who knows what feat, but surely Sarri's men have the opportunity to break a taboo: that of the Italian teams in the preliminaries of the top European football competition.
In fact, since 2013 an Italian, then it was Milan against Psv Eindhoven, has not passed this stage of the event, and in general this has happened only once in the last seven seasons, from 2010-2011. Before and after Milan, in fact, Sampdoria, Udinese were eliminated twice, Napoli itself in 2014, then Lazio and finally Roma last year, also collecting a merciless 0-3 at home with Porto.
This time Napoli could really go better, partly because of the first leg result (2-0 at home), partly because the team seems already on the ball, while Nice aren't too convincing, even if they have recovered the two aces Balotelli and Sneijder. Napoli, on the other hand, presents itself at the appointment with the doubt Mertens, who however should make it. However, Napoli has a lot to lose, as Sarri himself admitted when speaking of "the crossroads of the season: an elimination would be hard to digest and would also have strong psychological repercussions".
At stake at the Allianz Riviera in Nice there are not only 30 million, but also the certainties that Napoli has built in recent months and which for now have been confirmed in this start to the season, quite brilliant in the matches played so far.
