APPIANO GENTILE – "I agree with Mazzarri, no game can be decisive at this stage of the season. It is a six-pointer, not make or break, but it is a six-pointer. And it's important for us." That was Andrea Stramaccioni's assessment ahead of Inter v Napoli, scheduled for a 20:45 kick-off at the Stadio Meazza tomorrow.
The coach went on: "With Mazzarri, Napoli have reached the peak of their current cycle. In many ways we're at the opposite end of the spectrum, in the sense that we're in the first year of a new project."
After stressing that Diego Milito is "the best penalty-box striker in Serie A," Stramaccioni gave his opinion about two Napoli players in particular, Edinson Cavani and Marek Hamsik, offering sincere praise: "Cavani is an exceptional player, a lovely lad and a true professional. He's living up to the status of one of the world's best strikers. It's rare to see someone who can combine the physical characteristics he has with such talent. He helps out defensively, he's the perfect example of a modern forward. Hamsik gives them an extra gear: he's got incredible stamina and amazing attacking prowess. At the moment Hamsik is the reason Napoli are as good as they are, because Cavani, while extraordinary, is a striker, and the opposition's defence can pick him up on their radar."
The Nerazzurri coach then identified one of the main threats to his side tomorrow: "If we're not careful in certain situations in the middle of the park, we could find that we are the perfect victims for a team like Napoli. Their strengths coincide with our weaknesses. However, we've been working all week to ensure that doesn't happen."
