With Milan, it’s the fifth defeat in the league out of eleven games under Mazzarri’s management, but above all, it’s the fifth consecutive away game without scoring.
The defeat at San Siro against Milan has left Napoli with yet another day of bitterness and reflection. Beyond the technical-tactical analyses, it’s the numbers that speak the loudest: Napoli has suffered their eighth loss in the league, the fifth since Walter Mazzarri took over.
Most notably, they’ve now gone five consecutive away games without scoring, a feat that hasn’t happened in 45 years (since 1979, when it reached six). An offensive sterility that is nothing short of incredible (32 goals scored so far compared to 56 at the same stage last season), translating into a ninth-place position in the table, seven points adrift from fourth place. Not an insurmountable gap in terms of points, but considering the five teams ahead, Champions League qualification seems like a distant dream.
The decision to entrust the team to the former coach has proven far from successful thus far: the points average has dropped from 1.75 (under Garcia) to 1.27, with 8 losses in 16 matches across all competitions.
Both the team and the fans anxiously await Victor Osimhen‘s return from the Africa Cup of Nations, but the feeling is that the Nigerian striker alone may not be enough to turn around the fortunes of a group that continues to resemble a faded memory of the powerhouse it was just a year ago. Having him back as the focal point of the attack should at least ensure greater tactical stability, but once the coach and the team have no more excuses upon his return to full fitness.
The schedule isn’t their enemy: on Saturday, Genoa will visit the “Maradona,” a tough opponent, but then there will be two away games against Sassuolo and Cagliari, which are far from prohibitive, ideal to try to end the long goal drought away from Naples. Finally, there’s the crucial showdown with Juventus on March 3rd. Throughout all this, of course, the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Barcelona.
If the team doesn’t manage to beat all three Genoa, Sassuolo, and Cagliari, or doesn’t secure at least a draw against Juve or Barcelona, according to Calciomercato, Walter Mazzarri’s position as the head coach will face serious problems and probably result in his sacking.
