Napoli vs Torino preview - Benitez pleased with Napoli form

Posted Saturday, October 26, 2013 by PA

Napoli will looking to pick up where they left off in midweek when they host Torino in Serie A on Sunday.

The azzurri outfit go into the encounter at the Stadio San Paolo on the back of Tuesday's impressive 2-1 Champions League triumph at Marseille, secured through goals from Jose Callejon and Duvan Zapata.

The outcome saw Napoli finish the night as one of three teams on six points at the top of Group F, alongside Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal.

Moreover, it lifted the morale of Rafael Benitez's men after last week's 2-0 defeat at Roma - their first reverse in Serie A.

"In Rome we played well and I knew that if we played as we did against Roma, we would win in Marseille," Benitez said.

"I chose the formation well but then again it is easy when you have the players that I have.

"They are all training well and you could see great concentration from the whole squad. I congratulate them."

Napoli stand second in Serie A, five points behind leaders Roma.

The azzurri will no doubt be wary of a Torino side that made life difficult for Inter Milan last time out.

Nicola Bellomo's last-gasp equaliser handed Torino a 3-3 draw against Inter last weekend and lifted the Turin outfit to 10th in the table.

The Granata have lost just one of the last six games, a 1-0 reverse to Juventus, but travel to Naples nowhere near full strength with several players out injured.

Midfielder Matteo Brighi sustained a thigh injury against Inter and has joined Cesare Bovo, Omar El Kaddouri, Marcelo Larrondo and Guillermo Rodriguez on the sidelines.

Torino coach Giampiero Ventura will be hoping to welcome back Swedish midfielder Alexander Farnerud, who has been struggling with a muscular problem.

Napoli will be without right-back Camilo Zuniga and centre-back Miguel Britos, both out injured.