Football: Spalletti warns Napoli ‘it’s not done’ after win over Frankfurt

FRANKFURT – Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti warned his side that the “biggest enemy is to think it’s done” after beating a 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.

Napoli – who are leading the Italian Serie A by a massive 15 points – won their maiden Champions League away knockout match thanks to a goal in each half from Victor Osimhen and Giovanni di Lorenzo.

“I am happy with the performance, it was an end-to-end game. We need to stay calm, very calm,” Spalletti told Sky Sports before the return fixture in Naples in March.

“From the start the team played with character, took control of the game and did what we wanted to do.

“We probably had the chance to score an extra goal that could have been useful for us. I still think it is 50-50 for qualification, because there is still a game to be played.

“We need the utmost humility because when you face a team convinced you have an advantage, you can then end up dealing with unexpected situations. Arrogance is the biggest enemy. Our biggest enemy is to think it’s done.”

Mexico forward Hirving Lozano, who was named Player of the Match by Uefa after wreaking havoc down the right with his darting runs, told Sky Sports: “We need to keep working hard to carry on like this. We have to think game by game.”

Napoli, bidding to reach their first quarter-final in the competition, went ahead when in-form Nigeria striker Osimhen, who has now scored 10 goals in his last nine games across all competitions, tapped in at the far post after 40 minutes.

Frankfurt, who are playing in their debut Champions League season, were reduced to 10 men after 58 minutes when France striker Randal Kolo Muani stepped on the shin of Napoli midfielder Frank Anguissa.

Napoli captain di Lorenzo soon doubled the visitors’ advantage in the 65th minute from a superb back-heel assist by the tricky Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who made amends for his first-half miss from the penalty spot.

Frankfurt midfielder Mario Gotze said his side were left with an uphill battle after Kolo Muani got his marching orders.

“With the red card, I didn’t see it, but naturally it was a killer at 1-0 down to go a man down,” he said.

The German, who picked up a yellow for complaining to the referee, said he felt the decision was “harsh” against the star striker. The 2014 World Cup winner added that his side needed to be calmer and criticised himself for the error which led to Napoli’s opener.

“That cannot happen against a team like Napoli, who can play so well on the counter,” he said.

“We still have a second leg to play. They scored two goals here, why should we not do that as well? Everything is still possible.” 

Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner said the difference was how Napoli were able to exploit his side’s mistakes.

“We made a mistake on the halfway line and Napoli had the speed and the quality to use it,” he said.

“Then we showed our inexperience and our nervousness – and after the red card, the 2-0 result is to be expected.”

Glasner, who took Frankfurt to a surprise Europa League triumph last season in his first year in charge, also praised Napoli’s stunning run of form.

“If you’ve only lost two games in the past eight months, you get a lot of self-confidence and you know what you’re doing,” he said. AFP, REUTERS