FORMER Rangers striker Marco Negri has predicted that Napoli can maintain their impressive start to the season and win their first Serie A title in 33 years – but dismissed their chances of lifting the Champions League.
Luciano Spalletti’s side restored their three point lead over defending champions AC Milan in the league when they defeated the Roma team managed by Jose Mourinho 1-0 in the Olympic Stadium on Sunday evening.
The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona outfit have now gone 11 games undefeated in the Italian top flight in the 2022/23 campaign and their supporters are hopeful they can prevail for the first time since 1990.
Negri believes that Giovanni Di Lorenzo and his team mates are capable of doing so – but thinks winning the Champions League is beyond them even though they have won their first four Group A matches and are on top of their section.
“Napoli only won 1-0 against Roma on Sunday night,” he said as he looked ahead to their game against Rangers tomorrow evening. “But Roma are a tough, tough team. They had a very solid game at the back and Roma didn’t have any real scoring chances.
“It is still early in the season, but I think they can win Serie A. They have quality in every position, they have a players who can make a different and they have an excellent manager. Every player on the pitch knows what they have to do. I think they can maintain their start.
“I think the only problem they have is that the league will stop next month when the World Cup is played. It is almost as if they have two seasons in one. When you are flying, when you are on fire, you want to play every week, you don’t want to stop. But for me they are the favourites for the title.”
Asked if he thought Napoli could win the Champions League for the first time in their history, Negri said: “I don’t think so. I believe they will go forward in the knockout rounds. But I still believe there are four or five teams who are stronger than them right now.
“They beat Liverpool comfortably in their group game in Naples earlier this season, but I still believe Liverpool, Manchester City, PSG and Bayern Munich are stronger.”
