Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti insists his side are “not daft” enough to become complacent against Liverpool in the Champions League this week.
In his pre-match press conference the Reds boss said their unbeaten Champions League opponents, who are on a 13-match winning run, are Europe’s form team and have every chance of reaching the final.
Jurgen Klopp’s side would have to win by four clear goals to overtake Napoli as Group A leaders and he admits that, currently, the result is not the most important thing as they have already qualified for the knockout stage.
“I think I read he said they are not winning 4-0 tomorrow. I think he was serious when he said what he did,” said Spalletti, whose side were 4-1 winners in their meeting in Italy in early September.
“But sometimes you get too much praise which can take you to too high a level and you end up listening too much. Pride comes before a fall.
“Who knows (whether Napoli can win it), the fact of the matter is he has been in two of the last four Champions League finals.
“We are not daft and are not hoodwinked by anyone.
“Two months ago, as positive as I like to be, it would have been difficult to think we come here having won five games and being ahead of Liverpool.
“But that also means we have worked really hard and if you work hard you can find yourself in this position.”
While the Serie A leaders, five points clear at the top having only dropped points in two drawn games, are currently flying, Liverpool are infuriatingly inconsistent.
Having beaten Manchester City they have since lost league matches to the Premier League’s bottom two – Nottingham Forest and Leeds.
But Spalletti insists he is not fooled by their results.
“We ought not to be tricked by the latest result and think they are not in good form,” he added.
“I watched the (Leeds) game and Liverpool, as far as I am concerned, are in really good shape, it’s the same old Liverpool.
“Obviously if you miss 10 good chances like they did at the weekend and end up conceding a goal you might have a few questions raised about that particular result.
“But I will send my players out there to be play. What I won’t allow to happen is not playing, not trying to win tackles and duels.
“It makes a huge difference if you win the group – we are here with the best possible and purest of intentions to get a result tomorrow.”
READ NOW: Liverpool defensive trio feature in Premier League XI of disappointments in 2022/23