Naples affected by the World Cup break? Momentum seems to be gone, invincibility is in the past

Napoli started the season well beyond expectations. So far they have kept their league unbeaten record, falling only once in all competitions. The question was how much the break caused by the World Cup in Qatar would disrupt their form. Do we know the answer yet?

The Partenopei underwent quite a major rebuilding in the summer. Some legends left, such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne. On the other hand, reinforcements have arrived who were not expected to do so much, but have performed excellently.

Right from the start of the season, under Luciano Spalletti’s guidance, everything fell into place perfectly. In particular, defender Kim Min-Jae and winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were among the driving forces from the start. Forward Victor Osimhen continued his good form, while Stanislav Lobotka became a key figure.

Everything looked idyllic, fabulous. Napoli was going through not only Serie A, but also the Champions League, in which it lost points only in the loss to Liverpool, otherwise it won all the duels. In the league, it lost only because of two draws.

Somehow, it was beginning to look like the team from Campania would actually fight for the title. The wave of euphoria helped the team to gain a lot of confidence, which meant attractive football and, in short, a great ride.

But then came the enforced break for the World Cup in Qatar and the momentum seemed to be gone. In the preparation, the team from under Vesuvius failed to beat Villarreal (2::3) or Lille (1::4). The match against Inter Milan was also a failure.

Of course, Spalletti’s charges could hardly have faced a tougher opponent, but the problem is not so much the result (0::1) as the performance, which may rank among the worst under the Italian strategist.

Napoli looked unenergetic, chaotic, toothless. Inter couldn’t really threaten properly. Moreover, the players committed schoolboy mistakes, the ball often got in the way of their combination. This was simply not good. Even the former leaders were not doing well.

Inter were creating chances on the run without having to play very well. He could have won by a much bigger margin. Edin Džeko’s goal may well have influenced the course of the whole Serie A season.

The Partenopei must pull themselves together quickly if they are not to have an eruption on their imaginary climb to the top of Vesuvius. Even coach Spalletti was not satisfied. Although he praised Inter’s tactics, to which he and his team failed to respond, he nevertheless admitted that the performance was far below his charges’ capabilities.

Source: Serie A, DAZN