Napoli Aiming to Beat Benfica, Confirms ManagerMaurizio Sarri

Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri says that his team will try to beat Benfica and not go to Portugal in search of a draw.

After having already secured sufficient points in the group stages, Napoli need only a draw in order to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League. It will be considered as a success for the Italian outfit, who have been struggling for form in recent weeks. Placed in a group containing Besiktas and Dynamo Kyiv apart from the Portuguese club, Napoli were one of the early favourites to secure qualification.

However, failure to win the last three group matches has resulted in the team facing an uncertain future with regard to qualification. Other teams also dropping points has enabled the Napoli to come closer towards reaching the knockout stages without breaking much sweat.Sarri is aware that playing for a draw will be sufficient for the Italian club, but they will be looking to build on the win against Inter Milan during the weekend. Napoli only secured a 3-0 win against Milan to register their second win in the last five league matches.

It has been a difficult period for Napoli, as they have not only fallen out of the title contention but also out of the top three in recent weeks.

"We are not a team who can manage 90 minutes, speculating about a result in another game. We are going to give everything to make it through, and we feel like we deserve it. This is already a game so delicate psychologically that we could damage our game by thinking of other things. If we think we can get through with a draw, then we run risks. If we forget that, then we can play a real game. If we don't want to be distracted tomorrow night, we've got to go out there and think about winning the group," said Sarri.