Napoli winger Hirving Lozano has dropped an audacious claim, hinting his side are ‘stronger’ than reigning Serie A champions Inter. The Mexico international also believes in the southern giants’ title prospects despite their recent dip in form.
During an interview with Corriere della Sera, as relayed by Calciomercato, Lozano waxed lyrical about Napoli’s overall squad potential and strength in depth. He also refused to concede defeat in the Scudetto race, insisting the Partenopei are firmly in contention for their first Serie A title since 1989/90.
“We’re playing for the Scudetto, not hide-and-seek. The season is still long. But we are strong and we must look as high as possible, even if Inter and Milan are going fast,” he said.
“We can hold our own against Inter, in fact, we’re stronger. Player by player, man for man, the value is higher here. Injuries have penalised us. COVID, and I know what that means, knocked us out. But we’re back on track and we can annoy everyone. This virus has affected the world. And football has also paid a high price.“
Napoli’s maiden Serie A campaign under new boss Luciano Spalletti got off to a flying start, with the Partenopei going unbeaten in their opening 12 league matches this season (W10, D2).
However, Napoli have since picked up just four wins from their ten league outings (D2, L4), dropping to third in the Serie A standings. It is not all lost yet for Spalletti’s side, though, as back-to-back top-flight triumphs over Sampdoria and Bologna have got them back in the Scudetto race.
Napoli are now four points adrift of pacesetters Inter, who also have a game in hand, meaning Lozano and co will have to work their socks off to whittle down the gap in the remainder of the season. Salernitana’s visit to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium seems like a prime opportunity for the Partenopei to maintain their renaissance and mount more pressure on the Nerazzurri.
Lozano, who bagged a brace against Bologna earlier this week, will be one of Spalletti’s best assets against the Serie A basement boys on Sunday. Napoli have been handed a major injury boost recently. Victor Osimhen has returned to the fold following a lengthy spell on the sidelines, joining the fray at Renato Dall’Ara as a second-half substitute.
Osimhen’s return to action could hamper Dries Mertens’ first-team opportunities, despite the Belgian’s desire to convince Napoli to keep him around.