Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Simeone each scored a brace as Napoli defeated Hatayspor 4-0 in their first friendly at Castel di Sangro. Forza Napoli Press presents 10 quick takeaways from the victory.
1. Flexible Formations
With Stanislav Lobotka sidelined due to pain in his left knee, Rudi Garcia lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with André-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Piotr Zielinski in the double-pivot. While Garcia is expected to use the 4-3-3 formation, the new Napoli coach has openly stated that his players will need to be adaptable to different tactics.
2. Working Towards Full Fitness
In the two friendlies at Dimaro, Garcia replaced his entire squad at the half. Against Hatayspor, the Napoli coach waited until the 60th minute to make changes, suggesting that his players are slowly building up to match fitness.
First Half
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3. Jack Must Play
Like most of the ‘internationals’, Giacomo Raspadori has featured in two friendlies since returning to the squad. Against SPAL, the Italian played on the right wing in the 4-3-3. Against Hatayspor he played as the No. 10, behind Victor Osimhen. Garcia recognizes that Raspadori needs to play more than 1,217 minutes across all competitions this season.
4. Competition at Right Wing
Matteo Politano played 60 minutes against Hatayspor and was one of the most positive players on the pitch. The winger assisted Victor Osimhen on the first goal of the match after forcing a third turnover in the early stages of the match.
5. Lozano Out
Meanwhile, Hirving Lozano did not feature in the match, despite suiting up. Lozano completed the full group training on Friday, suggesting the Mexican has recovered from the knee injury that caused him to miss the final four matches of last season. When he replaced his entire squad at the hour mark, Garcia played Karim Zedadka on the right wing, fueling speculation that Lozano has been frozen out of the squad. On Sunday, reports surfaced that Lozano was steps away from accepting a move to Los Angeles FC in MLS.
6. High Press
A key feature of Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli was the high press and counter-press. It appears Garcia has no intention of changing that as Napoli continue to press their opponents. The opening goal of the match was generated by Piotr Zielinski, who pressed goalkeeper Erce Kardesler into conceding possession deep in Hataysport territory. As Simeone confirmed after the match, “he wants us to always be aggressive.”
7. Direct Attack
Where Garcia differs from Spalletti is the Frenchman’s attack is far more direct. Napoli demonstrated that, when given the opportunity, they can be lethal on the counter-attack. The Azzurri pounced on Hatayspor mistakes to score three of their four goals. If Garcia’s training sessions are any indication, Napoli will still rely on short, quick passes to break down stronger opposition.
8. Striker Depth
While Napoli are short on midfielders, depth is certainly not an issue at the striker position. Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Simeone each scored a brace on Saturday. Simeone one-upped Osimhen’s first-half pallonetto, dribbling past two defenders before chipping the keeper. Though Osimhen’s timing was slightly off, having been caught offside on a few occasions, the reigning Capocannoniere seems hungrier than ever.
9. Kvara Drifting
Another distinct feature of Garcia’s system is his wingers tend to drift towards the centre of the park. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia often showed for the ball in the middle of the field, where he assisted Osimhen’s second with a perfectly-weighted through ball. In the second half, Kvaratskhelia nearly assisted Osimhen with another pass from the middle of the park, but the Nigerian was slightly offside before he chipped the keeper.
10. Keeper Competition
Though not tested often, both keepers made fine saves when called upon. Meret made two quality stops in the final ten minutes of the first half, first on a strike by Joelson Fernandes from outside the area and then on a Bertug Yildirim header from close range. Gollini was equally sharp in the dying minutes of the match, tipping the ball over the bar on Armin Hodzic’s powerful strike from the edge of the area. Though Meret is the clear No. 1, the Friulan shot-stopper will be tested, as it appears Garcia would like for his goalkeepers to be involved in the buildup from the back.
