Napoli - Operation Domination

Bayern: Cheers mate, let's hope it'll keep going!

Neal: Surely not? Where to?

It was a hot and sunny afternoon in Napoli and Manchester City were being welcomed to a humid and
atmospherical Sao Paulo stadium in Napoli. Napoli had gone four games unbeaten so far with wins against Shakhtar, Sassuolo, and Parma and a draw away to Catania.

Manchester City have almost the exact same run as Napoli having won three of their last four games and a draw in the fourth. Had they not have had an extra game in which they won, both teams results would be exactly the same, so the two clubs were looking very even, and that was shown come the 90th minute.

Four goals were equally shared in this game with the first goal coming from a Napoli player in the 14th minute, yes...The inform Centre back Balanta who already has two goals to his name. Napoli were given an early corner within the first 15 minutes and the cross from Mertens was volleyed in from close range by Balanta.

1-0 up and Napoli were defying the odds, but it was about to get better. The team were absolutely dominating the Citizens and just three minutes after the first Napoli gripped on to a second. Mertens once again drilled a cross in, this time from the left side, where the ball me Callejon with just the keeper to beat.
Callejon fired it at the keeper but it was saved, yet Gomez was on hand to hit the ball back at goal and give his team a two goal cushion.

At around thirty minutes City started to find their feet, and with ten minutes of complete domination, Negredo was sent chasing a long ball. He touched it down in the box and with a quick swivel he chipped the ball up and over Reina.

The game was all but over in the 90th minute. It looked as if Napoli had mastered themselves three points against the group favorites, but disappointingly a lapse in concentration had Napoli on their knees when a City counter attack was powered up. Young striker Nimely played a slick pass to Negredo on the half way line who then flicked it through to Fernandinho and past Albiol...It was all over to Reina now, but the chance was too good to miss and the Brazilian midfielder slotted the ball home to equalize and take home a point for his side.

You could say City were lucky. Then again you could say the same for Napoli who's great start to the game was denied by two well deserved City goals. Either way, a win wasn't on the cards for the Azzurri and neither was a draw so Baggio and his team will be happy with that result.

With only six games played this season and Napoli sitting second in the league, it looks as if a player could be on the the way into Baggio's side. He has been solid player for Inter Milan and has represented his homeland of Brazil at the highest youth level on 22 occasions.

He has won a single South America Recopa and one Brazilian Gaucho State Championship with his supported club Internacional, and has won the under 20s World Cup in 2011 and also a South American under 20s Championship in the very same year.

Not much to boast about but this 22 year old centre back did win himself a £3 million move to Inter Milan in the Serie A, three years prior to Napoli's injury. He has earned 44 appearances for his new club and one goal.

So, Juan Jesus is the man Baggio is interested in, but is he good enough to partner up with a player such as Balanta? Baggio seems to have been scouting him for some time in the eleven games he has played this season and looks adamant to get his man. Although not putting in the best of performances for Inter, he still looks the right man to pair up with Napoli's new Colombian stopper.

You have to take into account that he is also around a team that are not currently gelled together, and they do not currently have the world class players that Napoli do, so it is thought that if he does join the Azzurri his performances would improve massively due to the players he'd have around him.

We also spoke to Baggio earlier and here is what he said when revealing his interest, he states that there are a number of targets on his mind, however the Brazilian is his top target.

O course he is a good player, and he has the potential to be a great player especially if he were to team up with Balanta, I also have to think about my other defenders if they do well for the team and are solid throughout the first half of the season it'll be hard to replace them. I do want a younger option there at hand but whether that will come this season I do not know.

There are a lot of targets on our mind, none that I can or in fact want to reveal, but you can expect to see some good players at the club soon. Whether it is in January or later in the summer.

We are also looking at players in other positions such as a left back and a new striker. We have the striker but they do not perform so changes are needed if things do not improve. As for a left back we only currently have one and it was silly of me to not pick ourselves a backup in August, but we are looking at a lot of players so nothing is set in stone.

Lots of targets then. Exciting times for Napoli, but why didn't Baggio spend his money in the summer? It has to be said he deserves credit for some of the players he picked up and for the prices, players like Teixeira, Gomez and Balanta have done really well. Flanagan isn't doing fantastic but he seems to be settling. Maybe he's missing an second English player in the squad for him to really settle in.

ATLANTA 1-1 NAPOLI INLER
NAPOLI 2-0 CAGLIARI HAMSIK X2
LAZIO 0-3 NAPOLI HAMSIK, BALANTA X2

Napoli would take confidence from their recent result against English side Manchester City. A win there had them maintain a qualifying position as Benfica thumped Shakhtar 3-0 at home.
A good result was never on the cards yet it was later revealed by Baggio who explained that it was a great result. "Yes of course it would have been nice to see the game about but we have earned a point and this is a good result"

But now Napoli face a different challenge, they're back in the Serie A where there nerves will be tested to the limit if they are to keep up their unbeaten run. With five wins in seven they'd look to get rack up a few more points, and have a dig at top spot.

They started off with a test at Atlanta, Inler scored a one on one opportunity in the fifth minute which put his side 1-0 ahead, and the game looked buried. Yes, a 1-0 never has a game buried completely, but Napoli were all over Atlanta, and it looked like they had seen it out until Raimondi's last gasp winner in the 90th minute.

Yet again Napoli had been brought back down to earth by another last minute goal and surely now, the morale would be wiped from the team?

No? The team took on Cagliari next and with and with a bit of fight, and determination they took the game to them. They took advantage of the home support enabling them to take the lead on 25 minutes through skipper Marek Hamsik. Who was able to direct yet another cross from Mertens, neatly in the bottom corner.

Then 10 minutes later, he added his second of the game. A free kick was crossed in by Mertens which was touched down by Rodrigo Gomez, the poor touch forced him to take the ball wide where he whipped it back in for Hamsik to head it into the top corner.

The three points were Napoli's, and they had continued their fantastic run, but now they did have a tough match finally. A match that would maybe test them a little. Lazio would now face them and it was all but dull...For the Napoli fans of course!

Mertens and Hamsik seem to be working extremely well with each other, and they are starting to form an unbelievable partnership. For the third time in two games the left winger fizzed one over the heads of the Lazio defenders which would be flicked in by Hamsik. His third goal in two games.

Balanta finally got back on the score sheet after some time off, Gomez played the defender in from a low driven corner, and the stadium erupted as the ball hit the back of the net!! The fans were really behind their team now, even away facing the Lazio fans they outsang them right to the end.

And of course right at the end, Napoli had their chance to make their lead three. Ghoulam took the long throw in which was headed back out by Balanta, as the ball was whipped in for a second time by Ghoulam Balanta was running back into the centre of the box to nod it in.

The game finished 3-0 and Napoli once again took home the three points. They are turning into a huge force under Baggio, and have for the first time this season topped the table going three points to the good against A.C. Milan and Juventus.

I like napoli, Good luck

I've won the battle. Time to get paid.

With four points from two games Napoli were sitting second in their group and level on points with Manchester City. They have thrashed an unsuspecting Shakhtar and played out a draw against a surprised Manchester City, but were these game just luck?

Baggio's men would today be facing Benfica, another team top that are top of their league. The sky blues were off to a good start when Gomez sought out Joao Teixeira in the box, the 20 year old Portuguese midfielder was almost taken by surprise with the cross and smashed the ball against the upright, thankfully the boy got and the ball deflected back into the goal to give Napoli the lead.

A few minutes into the second half Napoli were level, Cardozo made a bursting run into the box and was passed the ball by Perez, and with one touch the Paraguayan pulled off one of the most outrageous goals of the tournament, chipping the ball over the keeper and in to the far corner from the tightest of angles.

It wasn't over though, Napoli kept on pushing and pushing for the vital goal that would see them 4 points ahead of third place Benfica. And after a defensive error, in which Luisao fizzed the ball to Gomez, Gomez dribbled in and out of the Benfica defenders before laying off Inler outside of the box, he saw the opportunity and played Mertens through with a one on one chance, and of course he rarely fumbles his chances, and this time was no different as he curled it around the stranded goalkeeper to win the game for his club.

From that point on Benfica tried everything, they hit long balls forward and overloaded the box with all they had, but Napoli were to strong and handled themselves perfectly earning another vital few points!

Napoli stay second now in the group and look as though they could even take top spot if the form continues, but each qualifying spot is still all to play for and anything could happen here, even the manager isn't confident yet; I am happy with the win, but this is no time to relax." He stated. "Maybe we relax a little when we qualify but everything is still up for grabs, in each competition. It is only early in the season."

NAPOLI 2-2 CHIEVO MERTENS X2
SAMPDORIA 0-1 NAPOLI BALANTA

A win in their last game away to Benfica would see the Azzurri on high confidence for their next match against struggling side Chievo Verona, they'd be relying again on their ever present and inform winger Dries Mertens who has been scintillating so far in this first half of the season.

The striker has score 2 goals so far and notched up 5 assists and he'd once again be called upon to narrow Napoli a point in their next match.
With his first goal coming in the 20th minute due to an assist from partner Hamsik, Napoli were on high spirits and it looked as if the duo may strike again.

But they were denied by a 33rd minute goal from Chievo striker Rigoni who took his chance to level the scores with a penalty. He struck it low with pace into the right bottom corner and finally broke the solid Napoli defense with a fantastic penalty.

But Napoli were back in the lead late on and it was Dries Mertens to the rescue, a Flanagan cross troubled the Chievo defense, and Pandev just managed to stretch out a foot, knocking on the ball to Mertens who netted ball from close range giving his side the second lead of the game.

But it was far from over, a poor throw from Reina was intercepted by the anticipation of winger Thereau, who threaded the ball through to clinical striker Obinna. Obinna took the ball forward, and then took the ball away from goal to find himself an opening in which he nailed it into the top corner. A poor mistake from Reina saw his side slip up once more and Baggio will not be happy with that...And neither will Mertens.

Next was Sampdoria, and despite a poor performance from each team, Napoli edged the win. The game was stale throughout the first half but early on in the second Alvarez Balanta for the 4th time this season fired one in with his head from a corner.

The game stayed 1-0 and with a superb performance from Reina who managed to keep some fantastic strikes out, they took home the three points and kept their place at the top of the league with a two point gap on Juventus.

Good results there, and a very informative, detailed update. Keep it up

Your doing really well Aaron, keep up your good form!

Brilliant start Aaron, hopefully you can take the Scudetto back to Napoli!

Glad to see you in first man

Jack: Cheers mate I do my best

Josh: Yeah doing really well, got some important matches coming up so this good form will be really important.

Madridsta: Oh yeah...We gunna win the league

Bayern: Thanks buudy

gud upd8.

Neal: xD