Napoli vs SL Benfica - Sarri: Benfica are one of the strongest sides in Europe

Posted Wednesday, September 28, 2016 by PA

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri believes Benfica are one of the strongest sides in Europe.

The two teams meet on match day two of the Champions League in Naples on Wednesday night.

Sarri saw his players make a winning start against Dynamo Kiev but he thinks Napoli face a tougher test against the Portuguese giants.

"This match will be very difficult. Benfica are very strong, I've seen all their games and they control the game with no problem," said Sarri at his pre-match press conference.

"They have an excellent level of organisation, they have technique and they also have quality to we're talking about one of the strongest sides in Europe.

"Last year they went out in the quarter-finals after giving Bayern Munich a fright.

"They build well from the back, they have strong defenders from a technical point of view, they're well-organised and have a great, technical midfield. Then they have [Eduardo] Salvio and Pizzi on the wings, and they're great on the ball, they have a lot of talent.

"It's not easy to win the ball back quickly from them, because they have technique and the ability to dribble. You can't force them into an error.

"Then up-front they have [Goncalo] Guedes, who I like a lot, he made a big impression on me."

Benfica coach Rui Vitoria is relishing the challenge of playing in front of the notoriously partizan Napoli fans.

He said: "We are used to playing in big stadiums with hostile atmospheres, it is nothing new for us. We must enjoy this kind of challenge. I expect a difficult game but we are here to deliver a performance and to win.

"I like Napoli a lot, they have a very dynamic way of playing with a versatile 4-3-3 and very good pressing which make life difficult for any team. I like to watch them.

"How should we handle them? First of all we have to focus on our own qualities and then we have to be very determined because the team that makes the fewer mistakes will bring the three points home."

The clash sees Group B's in-form teams meet on Wednesday night. Napoli are unbeaten in 10 matches while Benfica are undefeated in 17 matches in all competitions.