Kvaratskhelia's woes, in particular, have been emblematic of Napoli’s troubled title defense. The Georgian dribbling wizard was a revelation in his first season in
But Kvaratskhelia struggled to replicate that scintillating form for
However, under Napoli’s third coach of the season — Francesco Calzona — Kvaratskhelia has scored three goals in his past two matches and added an assist.
Osimhen has fared even better under Calzona with five goals in four matches since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, where he helped
Osimhen almost got on the scoresheet again last weekend but had a late penalty — which he earned — parried by
“We’re getting back on the right path and we don’t want to stop here,” Raspadori said. “I’m so pleased, particularly for the team. We deserved this win and we knew it would be crucial in terms of our resurgence.”
Calzona began his tenure with a 1-1 draw against
“We’re rediscovering a mentality that has been missing,” Raspadori said. “Under Calzona we’ve had a reset. We’re playing on the front foot and we’ve freed our heads from the difficult moments.
“We’re trying to play the sort of football that we showcased so often last year. This means that we certainly need to keep improving and trying to reach our target of fourth place while it’s possible.”
The victory over
“We’re on the right path, but, of course, there’s so much room for improvement,” Calzona said. "It’s clear that winning certain games can send out a big message both technically and mentally.
“You can’t perform miracles in 10 days, so full credit to the players, who are trying to rediscover their identity.”
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