Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti plays down Scudetto hopes, hails Victor Osimhen after Juve demolition
- Seb Sternik
- 14 January 2023
Napoli moved 10 points clear at the top of Serie A after thrashing title challengers Juventus 5-1 on Friday night.
Luciano Spalletti's men are enjoying an incredible campaign which has seen them win 15 of their 18 Serie A games this season.
Napoli have lost just one league outing as their hopes of a first Scudetto since 1989/90 continue to grow.
Despite their demolition of Juventus - who won eight Serie A matches in a row and enjoyed a 770 minute run without conceding before Friday - Spalletti rejected the idea that his team sent a message to the rest of the league.
"The only message is to ourselves," Spalletti told DAZN. "Juventus are a colossus and that run of results they were on allowed them to go into this match in second place.
"What we said before kick-off was that we didn't want to end the game with remorse or being hesitant. Instead, we attacked in an open way and took control of the match."
When questioned on the title race, the Napoli chief added: "The Scudetto will be decided in June.
"We will think only match-to-match; only in this way can we get higher in the standings. Then we will see what happens.
"Juve must always aim for the Scudetto. We must understand that from tomorrow our thinking must change. As a club we know we have to leave everything on the pitch."
Spalletti also hailed Victor Osimhen who scored two of the goals and produced one assist.
The manager believes there is a lot more to come from the 24-year-old, saying: "I am amazed by the potential Osimhen hasn't put into practice yet.
"He is devastating on long balls, can stand strong physically and has courage too.
"He's had his face cut two or three times because he never backs down. He almost always takes risks but he's a player who has potential and room for improvement."
