Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri is famous for his aversion to squad rotation, with no less than nine players already on 19 or more starts this campaign. However, unavailable players – plus the small matter of a real chance to win the Scudetto this year – will see the stubborn tactician forced to ring the changes in the Europa League on Thursday evening. A fascinating encounter puts the current top side in Serie A host second-place Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig at the Stadio San Paolo, with both bosses having to deal with injuries and suspension.
Napoli will be without suspended scoring sensation Dries Mertens, forcing Sarri to deploy 20-year-old midfielder Piotr Zielinski in a more advanced position in the Coach’s usual 4-3-3 formation. Regular Serie A viewers will understand that this is no hardship however, the talented Poland international having contributed six goals and one assist from mainly substitute appearances this term. Injury to Vlad Chiriches will mean that regular centre-backs Raul Albiol and Kalidou Koulibaly will not get an opportunity to rest, while Cristian Maggio will likely step in for Elseid Hysaj at right-back.
22-year-old Marko Rog should join youngster Amadou Diawara – the latter holding his nerve to score a penalty versus Manchester City in the Champions League earlier this season – in the centre of the park, allowing at least two of the regular midfield trio of Marek Hamsik, Jorginho and Allan to take a well-earned rest.
Yet to use Sarri’s lack of rotation as a stick to beat him with is perhaps a little unfair, his precise and aesthetically pleasing possession-based system reliant on each player knowing exactly what is expected of them. “It’s beautiful to watch, but hard to implement,” explained captain Marek Hamsik in an interview with Sport1.de. “You have to run a lot, push hard. This is not a simple football. If we win back the ball, then we can focus on our strength – possession. So we have fun when we attack - but when we defend, we also have to work hard.
“During the week we always play in training with just two touches of the ball. So we're aiming to move the ball fast. But if our strikers are in possession of the ball, then they are able to begin dribbling.” Should Sarri rotate as expected, it will be interesting to see how the newly inserted players integrate into his system, and how Leipzig will react and adapt to such a potent passing force.
An inventive touch to kickstart the move, followed by a powerful run into space to continue it, culminating with an exquisite assist for Dries Mertens. Classic Napoli.
This is what Piotr is capable of. 💙
The German side will have to do without January loan signing Ademola Lookman, who is ineligible due to having already featured for Everton in the competition. Defender Stefan Ilsanker will also miss out due to suspension, as Coach Ralph Hasenhuttl – who is more accustomed to the art of squad rotation – looks set to deploy his regular and unusually narrow 4-2-2-2 system. This competition may not be a priority for Napoli, but it would be a mistake for the German side to think that they won’t try to win.
Indeed, the Partenopei should look to capitalise on home advantage in this tie, Leipzig having only won two from their last eight matches on the road. Their away support may provide inspiration for the team on this occasion however, with Italian reports suggesting that there have been 1,500 advance ticket sales for the away section, in stark contrast to Napoli who have only sold 6,000 so far.
“For us the Europa League is important and we want to advance,” said Hasenhuttl to Italian newspaper Il Mattino. “The secret to our success? We have a very clear philosophy, with great competence in all areas, and a city and a region that follow us. They are crazy the for football that we play. Leipzig are a young team that are hungry for success. We are very ambitious and we want to try to win a place in the Champions League once again.”
It remains to be seen whether Napoli are as hungry as their opponent for this competition considering their long-standing ambition to win the league title in Italy for the first time without Diego Maradona in the side. What’s for sure though, is that this fixture will provide the neutral with another riveting installment of European football in Naples.
