Gennaro Gattuso was full of praise for Napoli's next opponents Real Socieded as he spoke at a media conference on the eve of their Europa League meeting.
“We're going to have to turn in a superb performance because we're playing a tough, talented, well-drilled side,” the boss said. “There's no other way to play Real than by taking them on at their own game. We must believe in ourselves and our ability to dig in. We know we're up against a team with a great footballing tradition who can cause problems for us.”
Has last week's defeat to AZ Almaar left any scars?
“Yes. We know that losing that game makes tomorrow's match even more important. There are another 15 points to play for of course, but last Thursday was a big blow. We'll be up against very tricky opponents tomorrow – just look at the league table.”
What did you say to the team about that opening defeat to AZ?
"There wasn't a lot to say when we analysed the match. Having all that possession without scoring means we were at fault. It's harder to perform at your best in Europe. We know we must do better. We were too slow – we must understand that you need pace and intensity for this type of football.”
Will tomorrow be a match-up between two teams with a similar style of play?
“Their coach is right when he says we have a similar playing philosophy. Like us, they want to have lots of the ball and are well drilled.”
“They have some highly talented players – and not just David Silva. They've been working hard as a team for many years, have a strong sense of belonging and passionate fans. We're lucky there won't be any spectators in the stands tomorrow because it would have been like a cauldron. But even without them, Real are a hardened, proud, confident outfit.
“You can see the work of the coach behind it all because the players always know what they're doing, both with and without the ball. We're going to have to produce a massive performance if we want to come away with a good result.”
Will you make changes to the side that beat Benevento?
“I don't know how many of the starting 11 will change but we'll certainly put out a competitive team in good physical shape. We must be willing to fight from start to finish tomorrow because it's going to be very intense.”
(Photo Getty Images)
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Source: legaseriea.it