Rafa Benitez sends a message to Napoli and Inter Milan
Benitez’s words
Rafa Benitez, as a double former, spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport about the Scudetto challenge: "Would I have suspected it? That Inter was the favorite, of course sì. But also that Napoli could become the protagonist, you could have guessed. If you get Conte, you have already made a decisive step to give meaning to your ambitions. That it could then become a challenge-scudetto, the first of those that are on the calendar, this was more difficult to guess. But it seems to me that from the’beginning or maybe in the current championship many predicted Inter, then Napoli and Atalanta. Of course someone else got è lost on the way, but these three names were made".
"Decisive? It seems premature to me. There will be 11 games to go in this one and there will still be 33 points available. There will also remain important direct clashes, competitions of the highest level, challenges that cannot be deciphered in advance and with a considerable difficulty coefficient. That it is important will not be denied by anyone, that it can be fundamental è to be discarded".
"Can there ever be a favorite in a dry race like this? If you think about the absolute value of the’staff you say Inter; if you think about a month ago, when they beat Juventus in a comeback, you say Napoli. If you reflect on the value of the field factor, well, even then you say Napoli; but if you realize that Conte is missing Anguissa and Neres, very heavy absences, then you still say Inter. It all seems clear to me to be able to emphasize: very balanced match, as the one in the’first leg was; as the standings suggest, a single point gap è a detail".
"Playing mirror, 3-5-2, will not mean canceling each other out? If anything, look for any weaknesses of the’opponent or even, I would say first and foremost, enhance our own merits. It will be a match full of strategies, as it should be, in which Conte and Inzaghi will have a chance to bring out the best in their teams. But both Napoli and Inter know that this will not be the end of their championship, come what may there will be ways to play it out, to insist or react. There’è too much time to get to the end".
