Carlo Ancelotti Admits Napoli Lacked 'Intensity' During Their Goalless Draw Against Chievo Verona
CarIo Ancelotti has admitted that Napoli were below par during their disappointing goalless draw against Cheivo Verona on Sunday afternoon.
Despite dominating the game in terms of possession, Gli Azzurri were unable to break down a resolute Chievo defence and were left frustrated after hitting the woodwork twice during the second half.
CARLO HERMANN/GettyImages
Ancelotti admitted that his side simply weren't at the races, telling Sky Sports, as per Football Italia: "There wasn’t enough intensity today, especially in the first half.
"After the break we had more of a push, but the spaces were too tight. We were too bland in everything we did, from the attack to build-up play to defending. This allowed Chievo to play the kind of defensive game they wanted to.
CARLO HERMANN/GettyImages
“We’ve already put it behind us, as we ought to worry about these games beforehand, not after they’ve already concluded."
The draw leaves Napoli eight points behind league leaders Juventus, but Ancelotti claimed that he isn't concerned by what the league table currently shows.
“There’s no point looking at the Serie A table now." he stated. "We’ll look and evaluate only at the midway stage.”
Napoli have the opportunity to book their place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League on Wednesday when they travel to Red Star Belgrade and Ancelotti insisted that his side will use the experience they've gained from the draw against Chievo to ensure they avoid a slip up.
Francesco Pecoraro/GettyImages
“This game is a good test to understand what we are going into on Wednesday against Red Star Belgrade.
“It could be a very similar approach from the opposition, so dealing with this now can be helpful."
