Napoli head coach Rudi Garcia knows his side cannot afford a slow start if they are to target Champions League success this season.
The Partenopei topped their Champions League group ahead of Liverpool and progressed to the quarter-finals last season, where they were beaten by AC Milan.
Garcia’s side, though, head into their opening European tie away to Portuguese outfit Braga on Wednesday night sitting fifth in the table after a draw at newly promoted Genoa left them with seven points from four games.
“There is something wrong in the league (Serie A) because we are only fifth, but it is the start of the season,” Garcia told a press conference.
“The logical thing would be to say that we need to be more consistent, but we can say that the championship is the championship – and the Champions League is another competition.
“There are only six matches in the group (stage) and so every match counts much more than those of the 38-round championship (Serie A).
“We are here to win and we arrive with determination and confidence.”
Napoli arrived in Portugal much later than planned on Tuesday evening following a significantly delayed departure because of technical problems with their aircraft.
But Garcia will not look for any excuses if his side do not produce the required performance at the Estadio Municipal.
“Braga have quality players, but we want to start this Champions League group off well,” he said.
“We have to be consistent from the first minute and have to put everything on the pitch to win the three points.”
Centre-back Amir Rrahmani has been included in Napoli’s travelling squad after missing Saturday’s Serie A game with a muscle problem picked up while on international duty with Kosovo.
Uruguay defender Mathias Olivera is expected to start after coming off the bench against Genoa while recent signing Bernardo Natan could make his debut, with the Brazilian, fit again following a knee issue, an unused substitute at the weekend.
Braga have returned to the Champions League group stages for the first time in 11 years after coming through two qualifying rounds – and will also face Spanish giants Real Madrid as well as tournament debutants Union Berlin in Group C.
After suffering a 3-1 loss at Farense in the Portuguese Liga, Braga coach Artur Jorge is expecting a response against the Italian champions.
“Our opponent has a lot of individual and collective quality. The widespread opinion is that it will be more difficult for Braga, but we have the will to counter that,” he said.
“We have three very strong teams (in the group) and we will be put to the test with maximum demands.
“But even against a very strong Napoli, but we will have a rigorous and committed approach and I believe we have a chance to compete until the end.”
Jorge told a press conference: “We want to enjoy the match, but highlighting that we are not going to play just for the sake of playing.
“Regardless of the competition, the ambition to win is fundamental – we cannot get tired of winning.
“It should not be as a response to anything, this is the ambition that the players have to express – it is our desire for the mission to be accomplished.”
T&T's captain David, striker Garcia welcome Yorke's appointment as Soca Warriors Head coach
Trinidad and Tobago’s captain Aubrey David and Greece-based striker Levi Garcia welcomed the appointment of former player Dwight Yorke as the new senior Soca Warriors Head coach.
Both David and Garcia believe Yorke’s appointment augurs well for the future of the Soca Warriors setup, as both pointed to his experience and knowledge of the game as key components to nurture young talent and, by extension, drive development.
“I’m excited about Dwight Yorke’s appointment. His experience and knowledge of the game would be a massive plus for us. He has played at the highest level and led our country to our first World Cup, so he surely knows what it takes to get us there again,” Guatemala-based defender David stated.
“I am very hopeful that his leadership will inspire a new era of success and development in Trinidad and Tobago football,” he added.
Garcia echoed similar sentiments, while pointing to the fact that the former Manchester United star also have huge task of qualifying the Twin Island Republic to the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
“I wish him all the best. I think he can get the job done. I really and truly believe that with the experience that he has had, and all that he has done, hopefully it could work out with his coaching career, and we could come together as one and give the country that boost,” Garcia stated.
“Hopefully, he will be able to bring out the best not only in the team but in some of the youngsters to secure their future,” he noted.
'Exceptional' Fernandes can thrive under Amorim, says former Man Utd coach Meulensteen
Ruben Amorim's impending appointment as Manchester United boss will benefit skipper Bruno Fernandes, former Red Devils coach Rene Meulensteen believes.
United confirmed on Friday, four days after they sacked Ten Hag, that Amorim would be coming in as their new head coach.
The 39-year-old, who has won the Portuguese title twice in the space of three years, will join the Red Devils officially from November 11, after serving a notice period with Sporting CP.
United have agreed to pay Sporting around £9.2million (€11m) in compensation, with Amorim signing a contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until June 2027.
He will link up with compatriot Fernandes, who also swapped the Portuguese capital for Manchester back in January 2020.
The skipper has been directly involved in 151 goals since his debut, the most of any midfielder across Europe's top five leagues during that time.
And Meulensteen, who spent 12 years on the coaching staff at Old Trafford, thinks Fernandes will thrive under Amorim, and hopefully cut out some bad habits.
"It's always important, but all managers expect certain things, have certain expectations from Bruno," he told Stats Perform.
"I do think Bruno is an exceptional player. He's been so important in so many goals, in terms of his assists and contributing goals himself.
"Although, there's also another side that we've seen in Bruno - which you don't like to see as a club captain - a little bit of petulant behaviour, like throwing the toys out of the pram if things are not going well.
"Obviously, they're both Portuguese, so that helps them in terms of speaking in their native language.
"It's going to be interesting. The way that he sets up his teams, he doesn't play with out-and-out wingers. He plays far more with people in between the pockets, which [the likes of Bruno] are suited to.
"As soon as he steps over that line and steps through the door, we will see very, very quickly how he's going to shape up the team."
Mutual respect deceives Frank and Silva's desire to deliver 'special' London derby win
The mutual respect shared between the dugouts in west London belies the desire both managers feel to deliver a “special” derby win in west London as Brentford visit Fulham on Monday night.
It is a derby unlikely to disappoint with Brentford’s affinity for goals setting up a potential thriller. There have been a league-high 36 goals scored in Brentford’s nine league matches, while three of the last five league meetings between these two sides have finished 3-2.
Both clubs have established themselves in the English top flight over the past few seasons, with their managers also securing stable tenures, leading to a shared admiration in west London.
Though, with just one point separating the sides in ninth and tenth, both Thomas Frank and Marco Silva will be just as intent on delivering a memorable result for their fans under the lights on Monday.
“A London derby, local derby, is always more special, probably more intense, and it’s always a tough game. Away or at home against them, it’s always a tough game, like it’s always the same for them to play against us,” said Fulham’s Silva.
“We want to give a great feeling to our fans, that is to win a local derby. We know what we are going to face, we know that it’s a little bit more special to the fans, and what we want to give what they deserve from the Monday Night Football.”
Silva can see parallels between his own journey in west London and that of Brentford, who have fared well despite facing their first season without former talisman Ivan Toney.
“You can compare the same story to us as well, losing important players, selling important players, [but] being able to rebuild again,” he explained.
“There are similar things between both sides in that aspect, to sometimes sell their best players and to go again, to try to rebuild, to try to put some young players and fresh players inside. [Frank] is a top person, his job speaks for itself.”
While their similarity in mindset might lead to a shared story, it also means both are just as determined to deliver the three points to their borough of west London.
“In recent years, it has been very tight between the two teams - we have had some fantastic games against each other,” added Frank.
“Now, we're going to play Monday night, under the floodlights, Craven Cottage - a historic stadium - we're bringing 3,000 fans, and we'll do everything we can for them to get the win. I'm really looking forward to it."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fulham – Andreas Pereira
Only Bukayo Saka (27) has created more chances in the Premier League this season than Fulham’s Andreas Pereira (26), although none of those chances have been converted by his teammates yet.
He’s set up 11 different players, with only Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski creating a chance for more different team-mates (12).
Brentford – Bryan Mbeumo
Mbeumo has netted eight goals in the Premier League this season, with only Erling Haaland scoring more (11). He has scored 11 goals in his last 13 London derbies, including two goals at Craven Cottage in a 3-0 win last campaign.
He has been integral to Brentford’s attacking efforts, having taken the most shots (16) and provided the joint-most key passes (17) in the squad.
MATCH PREDICTION: FULHAM WIN
Fulham are unbeaten in their last five Premier League London derbies (W2 D3), last having a longer unbeaten run against fellow sides from the capital during the 2006-07 season (seven in a row).
They will also be looking to punish the Bees' leaky defence. Brentford have conceded 18 goals in their opening nine Premier League games this season, their most after nine league matches since 1961-62 (19). It’s the first time they haven’t kept a clean sheet at this stage since 2015-16.
Only West Ham (275) have seen more shots in the league than Brentford’s nine games this term (268). The Bees have faced 56 more shots than they’ve had themselves (106 for, 162 against), the third-worst differential behind only Leicester City (-81) and Southampton (-67).
That being said, Brentford have still managed to secure wins despite such a worrying defensive record. While they have shipped eight goals in their last three Premier League games, they have won both of the matches in which they’ve conceded three goals in that time.
Brentford have only lost one of their last 11 away league games against Fulham (W5 D5), failing to score just once at Craven Cottage in that run.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Fulham – 46%
Draw – 24.3%
Brentford – 29.7%
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