If anyone has ever faced a baptism of fire after being appointed as head coach of a football club, Carlo Ancelotti’s early tenure in charge of Napoli has certainly been that way. Not only has the former Bayern Munich boss had to assert his own ideas on a side meticulously drilled in the methods of previous boss Maurizio Sarri, but the fixture list has ensured that the new man has barely even had chance to draw breath.
His opening four domestic games saw the Partenopei pitted against Lazio, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Sampdoria, all of whom finished inside the top ten last term. After the International Break, Ancelotti overcame some of the defensive issues that had blighted early performances, easily beating Torino – another of last year’s top ten finishers – by a 3-1 scoreline.
Yet the biggest test was still to come last Saturday as Napoli travelled to Turin to face Juventus, the Old Lady still with a 100% winning record as they aim for a record eight consecutive league titles. Ultimately, that encounter would come too soon for a team still in transition as Napoli lost 3-1, however Ancelotti had no time to lick his wounds with yet another stern test versus Liverpool to come on Wednesday evening.
“We need to play with balance, we can’t gamble without being balanced,” the Coach admitted at his press conference before facing the Premier League side. “We need to study everything from Turin, from the difficulties we had to the ability we showed to impose ourselves against a very strong team.
“After that match I wasn’t calm, then I flicked the switch and focused on this game. Everything surrounding that game was taken over by negative things, so now we move on to positive things. There will be an extraordinary atmosphere tomorrow night and these are the games you want to experience. We come into this game with a carefree spirit.”
With these comments, Ancelotti is demonstrating his wealth of experience and Napoli supporters can take comfort from the fact the tactician is well used to moving onto the next match without dwelling on the result that has come before. A fixture versus a positive and attacking Liverpool – a side who reached the final of the competition last term – could well prove to be too much for a Napoli side still finding their feet, but their boss has all the necessary experience to spring a surprise here.
After all, he was hired by owner Aurelio De Laurentiis for his proven record both domestically, with four titles won across four different European leagues, and in his three Champions League trophies earned with Milan and Real Madrid. In two previous encounters with Klopp, the new Napoli man has won once and lost once, another factor that gives this particular tie even more added interest.
Liverpool’s pressing may prove to be too much for a side still finding its feet, but Ancelotti has given them a fighting chance by reverting to a more traditional 4-4-2 after the 4-3-3 favoured by Sarri and a subsequent 4-2-3-1 left Napoli too exposed defensively. The Merseyside outfit will have to be on their guard versus an in-form Lorenzo Insigne, the Neapolitan winger having already fired in five times in the league in just 542 minutes of action compared to eight total league strikes in the entirety of last season.
Both teams have factors in their favour for this Champions League clash, but the real winner has already been decided. Those who choose to tune in to watch it.
