Napoli vs Inter Milan preview - Lavezzi wants Champions League qualification

Posted Sunday, May 15, 2011 by PA

Napoli striker Ezequiel Lavezzi has urged his team-mates to make sure they secure a place in the Champions League group stages when they face Inter Milan at Stadio San Paulo.

The Naples club are currently third in the Serie A table, with fourth-placed Udinese six points behind with two rounds of fixtures to go.

That leaves Walter Mazzarri's side needing just a point to make sure they avoid the qualifying rounds of Europe's showpiece club tournament, as well as recording their best league finish since the days when the likes of Diego Maradona and Antonio Careca plied their trade for the club.

And Lavezzi does not want to head to the final day of the season with third place still in the balance.

"We deserve a great achievement, we are missing one point and need to take it," said the Argentinian.

"We are aware that with one point we reach a goal that we have pursued throughout the year. But I am sure we will succeed.

"Our ambition is always to get to the top, but looking back at last summer we did not expect to get so high.

"But we deserve to be here. Now there are six points up for grabs, we still need to get something and we will give everything.

"We have a large squad and on this basis we will grow together as a team. New players will arrive in the summer and hopefully we will be able to fight again for great things next season."

Inter, who reached the Coppa Italia final in midweek, are not yet guaranteed second spot as they lie just four points ahead of Napoli, and they have already missed out on the title to city rivals AC Milan, but manager Leonardo says he has no regrets about his decision to join Inter.

The former Rossoneri boss said: "I don't have regrets. The rapport with [president Massimo] Moratti is still perfect, even after my difficult decision to come here from Milan."