"Osimhen hasn't changed; Vinicius? I don't play with the opponent in mind"

Napoli captain Giovanni di Lorenzo, said on Monday he is "sure" that Real Madrid, their next Champions League opponents, consider Napoli "also a good team".

"It will be a game to play and not to concede. Real Madrid have many titles, the Champions League is their home, but we are prepared, we are playing at home, there will be a full stadium and we will do everything we can to make it difficult for them. I'm sure they also consider us a great team. It will be exciting to go out onto the pitch," he told a press conference ahead of Tuesday's clash at the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona (21.00 CET).

The right-back will have to stop Brazilian Vinicius Junior, although he will not change the way he plays against the Real Madrid star: "I don't play thinking about the opponent We're talking about a champion who was decisive for Real Madrid from very early on despite his young age. We will have to pay attention to him, but also to the rest, knowing that, when we have the ball, we will have to impose our game to try to make it difficult for them", he explained.

He also spoke of his team's shaky start to the season and of Nigerian Victor Osimhen, who has been embroiled in extra-sporting controversy after Napoli published a video on TikTok that did not sit well with the striker, who, through his agent, warned the club of a possible legal action.

"When we play badly, we are not the same as last year, but if we play well, the Napoli of last year are back. We have to look only forward. In the Champions League, we started with an away win and we face the game with seriousness, accepting the duel we face now," he commented.

"Osimhen hasn't changed, you can see it in the games and in his desire to play. For us, he's the same, he's a great player and he'll give his all, like everyone else," he said.

 

October 2, 2023