'Even Diego Maradona would have been proud’ – Luciano Spalletti on Napoli stunning Ajax in Champions League
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Updated 05/10/2022 at 08:10 GMT
Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti reference Diego Maradona after they hit six past Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday. Three goals in each half meant Napoli maintained their 100 per cent record in the competition at the halfway point of the group stage having also beaten Liverpool and Rangers. They are also at the top of Serie A with an unbeaten start to the season.
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Luciano Spalletti says Diego Maradona would have been “proud” of Napoli’s 6-1 victory over Ajax in the Champions League as they continued their impressive start to the season.
Ajax led when Mohammed Kudos scored after nine minutes, before Giacomo Raspadori, Giovanni di Lorenzo and Piotr Zielinski put Napoli 3-1 ahead.
They kicked on in the second half when Raspadori curled in his second, assisted Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Giovanni Simeone scored their sixth goal.
“When you go into a stadium like this, with that roar there, it's not easy to immediately regain the conviction in pressing and recovering after going a goal down," Spalletti told the press.
"It could have disturbed us a lot, but the team did the things they had to do. They never let themselves be influenced and won a great match.
"More than the result, it is beautiful as the performance shows us our qualities. [My players] are going really strong, they motivate each other and so everything becomes easier. They played really well even Maradona would have been proud tonight."
Napoli are unbeaten so far this season, as they sit at the top of Serie A and have a 100 per cent record in the Champions League after three group games.
They stunned Liverpool 4-1 and Rangers 3-0 which means they have all but qualified for the knockout stages and could top the group.
Spalletti thinks those victories make Napoli’s run even more impressive.
"With this victory, we have excellent chances [to qualify],” he added. “But we have to achieve other results.
"What gives context is the quality of the opponents who we produced this performance against, they are great clubs."
Napoli are at home to Ajax next Wednesday in the Champions League, before hosting Rangers at the end of the month and travelling to Liverpool at Anfield on November 1.
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