Rafael Benitez warned his Napoli side to be wary of a
Bologna side desperate to impress new head coach Davide Ballardini on Sunday.
The Napoli coach has witnessed his side go eight games
unbeaten in all competitions, including a 3-0 victory at Verona in their last
Serie A outing last weekend.
Next up for Napoli is a visit to strugglers Bologna, who
have just one win in their last nine league matches.
That poor form saw the dismissal of Stefano Pioli, with
Ballardini taking over on a short-term deal that began with a solid 0-0 draw at
home to Lazio last Saturday.
And Spaniard Benitez believes his players face a
difficult challenge in Sunday's showdown.
"We were determined in Verona and won that
game," he said. "Now we must continue taking that approach in
Bologna.
"When a tactician is replaced, it's never good news,
but now Bologna will be more dangerous because they are eager to prove
themselves under Davide Ballardini. Every player gives 100 per cent against
Napoli anyway."
Juventus are in prime position to claim a third straight
title in Italy, with Napoli third, 10 points adrift of Antonio Conte's side,
But Benitez remains optimistic of his side's chances.
He added: "Our objective is to improve.
"The first half of the season has been very positive
and you can see the team growing. If we look at last season's squad, it is
inferior to the current crop and that pleases me.
"We are working one day at a time, one game at a
time, so it is too early to make predictions. The important thing is for the
squad to believe in itself. If we keep playing this way, then we'll go
far."
Culled from Soccerway
