Luciano Spalletti’s one thousandth match in the dugout as a professional coach was marked by a fine Napoli performance to pick up all three points away to Sassuolo on Friday evening.
“It was a great display, the best in our last few games,” explained the boss after the 2-0 success.
“I saw quality and speed out there. We moved the ball quickly and were able to put attacks together with great force.
“Sassuolo are a very good side and despite our very good performance, they still made it difficult for us on a few occasions. They’re a team that can compete with and cause problems for any side given how they play.
“We showed the right mentality out on the pitch. We played with real maturity in the second half as we held our ground and protected our lead while also going in search of a third.
“We’re showing that we’re focused, have desire and our applying ourselves well, but we must never get ahead of ourselves. We’re in a rich vein of form, but we mustn’t let up and we should always perform with real determination.
“This squad is sending out positive signals for the future, which is why we have to keep pushing down this development pathway with even greater vigour.
“We know how good Eintracht Frankfurt are. They’re physically strong and they attack spaces with a formation that makes them very compact. They reached the Europa League final last season and they have the European experience that you need.
“We must be ready to play in every single game with the same level of determination without doing any calculations, while focusing purely on our own ability. We know every Champions League game is key. We’ve shown that so far in the league too, so the knockout tie mentality is clear to the lads. That has to become something that we’re used to doing in every game.”
