Pressure is mounting on SSC Napoli coach Rafael Benitez ahead of US Citta di Palermo’s visit to the Stadio San Paolo today as the Serie A club continue to reel from early-season setbacks.
Napoli’s hopes of competing in this season’s UEFA Champions League ended with elimination in the third qualifying round at the hands of Athletic Bilbao.
After three Serie A games, Napoli are six points behind AS Roma and Juventus, and, with Inter and AC Milan looking stronger this season, seemingly set for an uphill struggle to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition.
Photo: EPA
Two defeats in three games — a 1-0 home defeat to AC Chievo Verona followed by a 1-0 reverse away to Udinese — equates to Napoli’s worse start to a season in five years.
Benitez reportedly prompted the ire of Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis when he traveled to Liverpool to pay a planned visit to family at the start of the month.
After defeat to Udinese on Sunday, planned talks over a contract extension — Benitez’s current deal runs out at the end of the season — have been put on hold, according to Il Mattino on Monday.
Napoli will be expected to account for Palermo, while anything less than a victory would likely plunge the club into a mini-crisis, even ahead of meetings with Juventus, Roma, Inter and Milan.
Roma sit top thanks to a superior goal-difference to Juventus, but face a potentially tricky trip to Parma, while Juve host promoted AC Cesena in Turin with a chance to regain the league lead.
Unbeaten Roma have yet to concede a goal, although Rudi Garcia’s injury list is growing, with midfielder Daniele de Rossi set to miss the trip to Parma with a suspected calf strain.
Depending on the results of a scan, De Rossi could also miss upcoming games against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League and Juventus.
Garcia has called for Roma to maintain their focus, no matter the caliber of their opponents.
“Having a big squad isn’t enough. We need to have a team mentality and to give everything in every game,” the Frenchman said.
Parma welcome the Giallorossi having claimed their first win of the season, a 3-2 away defeat of Chievo thanks notably to a brace by striker Antonio Cassano.
After the game, Italy international Cassano gave his side the good news that he will now focus fully on club soccer, adding that the methods of new Italy coach Antonio Conte are too brutal to bare.
“With Conte the Italy squad risks becoming too much like Juventus, when you leave the pitch you’re physically destroyed,” Cassano said. “I play football to enjoy myself, if it has to become a job...”
Juventus, now coached by former AC Milan handler Massimiliano Allegri, host Cesena on the back of a morale-boosting 1-0 win away to Milan thanks to a second-half strike from Carlos Tevez.
Allegri could be without defender Martin Caceres after the Uruguayan suffered a left-thigh strain, but facing Cesena, who have lost 12 of their 14 previous encounters against the Turin giants, at home is unlikely to trouble the Bianconeri.
With Milan in action away to promoted Empoli yesterday, Inter host Atalanta BC at the San Siro looking to get back to winning ways after being held 1-1 by Palermo.
Inter had put seven unanswered goals past US Sassuolo previously, but a stuttering performance in Sicily has left Walter Mazzarri’s men in sixth place.
Elsewhere, ACF Fiorentina host Sassuolo looking to grab only their second win of the campaign, while Torino travel to Cagliari looking for the win that could move them off the bottom.
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