When do napoli play chelsea

Napoli recorded their first win in four games with a victory at Cagliari in which Bakayoko featured for all but the final few minutes. Bakayoko, operating as one of two holding midfielders, was involved in the crucial third goal for his side, winning a header in the box before Hirving Lozano finished from close range. They could go third if they win their game in hand. Elsewhere in Italy, David Zappacosta started his first game since a heavy defeat at Napoli in late September as Genoa drew against Lazio.

Granada started with a defeat in La Liga, going down away at Eibar. Kenedy played three-quarters of the game in a wide left attacking role as the Spaniards missed the chance to keep up the pressure on the European contenders.

In the immediate aftermath of his side's win over Chelsea at the Stadio Sao Paolo last week in the Champions League's last 16, Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri did his best to wrap up a week-long show of underdog posturing on the part of the home team. Never mind that Mazzarri's men had entered the match as near-consensus favorites. He still came off as almost believable. As a pre-game strategy, the us-against-the-world routine is both charming and effective. And Mazzarri hasn't been the only Napoli man using it.

In the previous days, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik had hailed the first leg as a "match of the season" against big, bad Chelsea. Afterward, superstar Edinson Cavani—who himself has long been linked with Chelsea —portrayed the result as one of giants and giant-killers. All the self-deprecation must have carried with it more than a hint of nudge-nudge, wink-wink, as we now know.

For a team who supposedly saw themselves as longshot underdogs in the first leg, Napoli sure did know right where to hit Chelsea. After falling behind to an against-the-run-of-play Chelsea opener, Napoli swarmed the visitors' backline, creating chance after chance and eventually running out deserved winners.

Mazzarri and his men will probably offer up similar self-deprecation in the days before the second leg in two weeks' time. With last week's win, Napoli charted their blueprint for beating Chelsea. If they're smart, they'll follow their own lead on March He will be able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs at the turn of the year as things stand.

Chelsea have recently been credited with an interest in bringing the forward to Stamford Bridge as Thomas Tuchel looks to strengthen his ranks in the mid-season market. It has been suggested that Insigne could join the Blues if Napoli fail to meet his salary demands, with the year-old said to be considering the possibility of taking on a fresh challenge. His current employers are hoping to keep him on their books into next season and beyond and have already entered talks with his representatives over an extension.

However, it seems as though they have failed to make any sort of concrete progress, with Insigne's future no closer to being resolved as the January transfer window looms large. His agent, Vincenzo Pisacane, has admitted that Insigne was shocked by Napoli's recent decision to offer him a reduced wage, suggesting that a move elsewhere could soon emerge as a real possibility.

Usually, you offer more money when you want to extend a contract. There is mutual respect with [Napoli owner] Aurelio [De Laurentiis] but he knows that the proposal must be increased and not cut.