Last Update: February 22, 2023, 08:55 IST
Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti in the UEFA Champions League (AP)
Napoli won their first UEFA Champions League away knockout match with a 2–0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt
Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti warned his side’s “worst enemy thinks it’s done” after a 2-0 first leg win at ten-man Eintracht Frankfurt to send them into the last 16 on Tuesday.
Napoli won their first ever Champions League away knockout match thanks to half-time goals from Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Spalletti told Sky, “It was an end-to-end game that we wanted to play and succeed in. We needed to be calm, very calm.” Play Before the return of 15 March.
“The second phase is yet to come. Our worst enemy is to think it is done,” he said.
Napoli are 15 points clear atop the Serie A table and are on course for their first title in more than 30 years.
“We need to work hard to keep going like this. We have to take it game by game,” Mexico forward Hirving Lozano, who was voted Player of the Match by UEFA, told Sky Sport.
“We played very well against a strong side. It was tough at first but we had a great game.”
Frankfurt, playing their first Champions League season, were reduced to ten men after 58 minutes when France striker Randall Kolo Muani stepped on Napoli midfielder Frank Anguisa’s shin.
Frankfurt midfielder Mario Goetz said the team were left with an uphill battle after Kolo Muani was given his marching orders.
“With the red card, I didn’t see it but naturally it was 1-0 down to see a man go down a killer.”
Goetze, who raised the yellow to complain to the referee, said he felt the decision against his star striker was “harsh”.
2014 World The Cup winner said his side needed to calm down and criticized himself for the error that led to Napoli’s opening goal.
It can’t happen against a team like Napoli, who can play so well on the counter.”
Eintracht manager Oliver Glasner said the difference was how Napoli were able to take advantage of his side’s mistakes.
“We made a mistake on the halfway line and Napoli had the pace and the quality to use it.
“Then we showed our inexperience and our nervousness – and after the red card, a 2-0 result could be expected.”
Glasner, who led Frankfurt to a surprise Europa League win last season in his first year in charge, praised Napoli’s excellent form.
“If you’ve only lost two games in the last eight months, you get a lot of confidence and you know what you’re doing.”
read all Latest sports news Here
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)