Napoli vs Inter Milan - Spalletti hoping to build on derby win

Posted Friday, October 20, 2017 by PA

Luciano Spalletti has warned his Inter Milan side there must be no let down after their derby heroics as they prepare to face Serie A leaders Napoli.

In the match of the season so far, Napoli will test their perfect record against their closest challengers, who are also unbeaten with seven wins and one draw.

Inter go into the clash on the back of a last-minute 3-2 victory over AC Milan - thanks to Mauro Icardi's hat-trick - and have made their best start to a league season since 2002/03.

Coach Spalletti said on www.inter.it: "Winning great matches like that of the derby in front of our own crowd is something that we must manage.

"We must learn the art of being able to start again from zero. However, we must not take a step backwards. We will wear the shirt on Saturday and seek to put in a great performance.

"Napoli are a good advert for football. They are strong but we know that we cannot let them dictate play with their quality. We must try to trouble them and we aim to win in their own backyard.

"Anything is possible here at Inter because there are no regrets or limitations. The entire squad is of the highest quality and they can compete against any other team.

"After what I've seen so far, I am convinced that my team can be at the same level as their opponents on Saturday."

Napoli suffered their first defeat in any competition this season against Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.

But goalscorer Amadou Diawara, who netted his first senior goal from the penalty spot, does not see any reason to be downhearted.

He told Radio Kiss Kiss: "I was happy to score against City, but it was a shame about the result.

"The first 30 minutes didn't go the way we wanted, but we were up against a top side. Eventually we composed ourselves and went toe-to-toe with City.

"The fact we were able to recover against a first-rate side is really satisfying, regardless of the result. We might have lost the game, but our morale wasn't affected.

"We're all fully focused on the game against Inter. There's a lot at stake and we want to give everything. It's going to be a tough match but an interesting one, too.

"We're playing at the San Paolo in front of our fans, who will give us a massive boost. We're really motivated to do well, but we know we're playing a team that's in great form. I hope it can be another magical night for us."