Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti insists he was confident his struggling side would rise to the occasion, as they secured a vital 1-1 draw against Liverpool in the Champions League.
The Partenopei led through a wonderful Dries Mertens strike and, despite Dejan Lovren equalising for Liverpool, remain well-placed to secure qualification from Group E.
Having gone through much internal turmoil and a downturn in results in recent weeks, Napoli were under pressure ahead of the clash against the Premier League leaders, but Ancelotti saw the result as a platform to build on.
“I was convinced that we would put in a good performance as we have the capacity to make Liverpool suffer,” the former Chelsea and AC Milan tactician declared in his post match press conference at Anfield.
“I knew we would play to a great level, even if that does not necessarily mean we would win. We have played badly in recent weeks but it is certain that we will find our form again and we achieved that.
“Maybe it didn’t seem like a beautiful performance aesthetically, but we were solid and can build on this. Our aim was not to put in an attractive performance here, but to manage our progression from the group.”
Napoli will guarantee their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League with victory over Genk in the final game of Group E.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com