Di Matteo's hope as Chelsea trail Napoli
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Article summary
Roberto Di Matteo says Chelsea FC "need a great performance and a little bit of luck" if they are to overturn a 3-1 deficit and advance to the last eight at the expense of on-song SSC Napoli.
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After two victories in as many matches at the Chelsea FC helm, Roberto Di Matteo is hopeful the Blues can make it a hat-trick at home to SSC Napoli on Wednesday – though they will need "a little bit of luck" if they are to overturn a 3-1 deficit. Visiting coach Walter Mazzari, whose side are on a six-game winning run, is certainly wary, telling his players they will need to defend like lions.
Chelsea
Interim first-team coach Roberto Di Matteo
We are looking forward to this game; I am excited. We know we have a big job on our hands but the squad is in good shape and everybody is available so we are confident. We want to finish the season in the best way and reach [our] objectives. We've started well in the first two games and obviously the more confidence you can build will be positive in light of this match.
Napoli have done really well and deserve credit for what they have achieved so far in the competition. We will need a great performance, and also a little bit of luck – if we get both of these things I am confident we can progress.
I've spent years here at Chelsea. I've got a past here. Personally it would be a proud moment if we can make it through to the next round – but more than anything we want to do well for the club and our supporters; we want a proud performance and a win tomorrow night.
Weekend result
Saturday: Chelsea 1-0 Stoke City FC (Drogba 68)
Čech; Ivanović (David Luiz 46), Cahill, Terry, Cole; Meireles (Mata 38), Mikel (Sturridge 67); Ramires, Lampard, Kalou; Drogba.
• Didier Drogba's 100th Premier League goal earned Chelsea victory after Stoke had Ricardo Fuller sent off midway through the first half. It was Chelsea's second win in seven league games, and only their seventh in 18 matches in all competitions.
Team news
Raul Meireles serves a one-match ban while José Bosingwa has been out since the first leg at Napoli on 21 February with a hamstring problem.
Napoli
Coach Walter Mazzarri
We know what to expect and what they can do. Obviously something has changed with the coach, but not much tactically – they've won two out of two since Di Matteo took charge, so that's a big morale boost and obviously worries me – but I'm confident in my team. If they play the type of game I'm used to seeing, we have nothing to fear. My players have improved a lot in the past few seasons, gaining respect and experience. We know that, at our best, we are a match for any team.
It's great that we've managed to achieve what Napoli did in the 1980s and 90s with players like Maradona doing well in Europe. It's been a great achievement for us to get to this stage, but we are getting so used to surprising everyone that it's becoming the norm. It's important we don't change the way we play, though I don't think my team could ever underestimate the importance of this game.
Any result that will get us through will be good for me, but because I like good football I would like to think we can score one or two goals. We must realise that the game has two phases, passive and active. When we haven't got the ball we must be like 11 lions and attack them constantly; when we do have the ball we must use it wisely and focus.
Weekend result
Friday: Napoli 6-3 Cagliari Calcio (Hamšík 10, Cannavaro 19, Astori og 30, Lavezzi 56pen, Gargano 70, Maggio 84; Larrivey 37 77 90+2)
De Sanctis; Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Aronica; Zúñiga, Gargano (Vargas 74), Inler, Dossena; Hamšík (Maggio 63), Lavezzi (Cavani 59); Pandev.
• Paolo Cannavaro headed in his first goal of the season as the Partenopei claimed a sixth consecutive victory, their longest winning sequence since Maradona inspired a run of seven in a row in January/February 1988. Friday's win was the highest aggregate score in Serie A since May 2005.
Team news
Napoli are almost at full strength, with Miguel Britos (foot) and Gianluca Grava (thigh) making the journey to England after missing the Cagliari game.
Match fact
Chelsea have not won any of their last five UEFA Champions League knockout home matches. Starting from the 2008/09 quarter-final their results have been: 4-4 v Liverpool FC, 1-1 v FC Barcelona (2008/09 semi-final), 0-1 v FC Internazionale Milano (2009/10 round of 16), 0-0 with FC København (2010/11 round of 16) and 0-1 v Manchester United FC (2010/11 quarter-final).