Napoli vs US Sassuolo Calcio preview - Higuain suspended for Sassuolo game
Posted Sunday, February 22, 2015 by PA
Napoli coach Rafa Benitez has called on his players to build on their stunning midweek victory at Trabzonspor when they host Sassuolo on Monday.
The azzurri won 4-0 in Turkey on Thursday to take command of their Europa League last-32 tie.
Napoli scored goals through four different players and Benitez was delighted with what he saw.
"I'm very pleased with the performance, not just in terms of the result but of the football my team displayed," Benitez told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I saw the reaction that I had expected from my team."
Napoli had gone into their European contest on the back of a surprising 3-1 defeat at Palermo in the last round.
The outcome in Sicily halted a four-match winning streak for Napoli and kept them in third place, four points clear of nearest rivals Fiorentina.
"It seems to me that my players show more sense of urgency when playing in Europe than in the domestic front," Benitez said. "But we need to show the same focus in Serie A, otherwise we will pay the price."
Napoli must overcome the absence of the team's leading scorer Gonzalo Higuain.
The Argentinian striker started and scored on Thursday but must serve a one-match ban on Monday.
Colombian striker Duvan Zapata is set to lead Napoli's attack against Sassuolo with Marek Hamsik playing in support.
Sassuolo travel to the San Paolo stadium looking to bounce back from last weekend's 3-1 defeat to Fiorentina.
The loss was Sassuolo's second defeat at home all season.
The Emilia-Romagna outfit have lost two of their last eight league games and currently sit 12th in the standings.
Sassuolo, coached by Eusebio Di Francesco, will be bolstered by the return of midfielders Simone Missiroli and Saphir Taider from suspension.b
Italian strikers Domenico Berardi and Simone Zaza, who have combined for 15 of Sassuolo's 29 goals scored so far, will start in attack.
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