Rudi Garcia pleased to see Napoli take their chance in hard-fought victory

By Sports Desk October 24, 2023

Rudi Garcia hailed Napoli for taking their lone clear chance in a largely uninspiring Champions League win over Union Berlin.

Giacomo Raspadori poached the only goal of the game after excellent work by player of the match Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with the Bundesliga side having had the better of the game for long periods in front of a raucous crowd at the Olympiastadion.

Napoli coach Garcia told the club’s website: “We won with anger, patience, the desire to prevail and also intelligence.

“Right before we started we knew that we would be facing a complicated match. But we were calm, we never really suffered any danger, but it’s also true that in the first half we created little, also because on this heavy pitch it was difficult.

“Then in the second half with patience and intelligence we found the way to the goal. Kvara’s action and Raspa’s turn were beautiful from a technical point of view. A beautiful goal that I liked both for the assist and for the conclusion.

“We are a team that knows how to play the ball but also knows how to run and fight. These are the main characteristics with which we must continue our journey.”

Napoli lie second in Group C and Kvaratskhelia told uefa.com: “The group looks good but we must still focus on the other games and try to win those.

“Thanks for choosing me as player of the match today, but other players were very important too – and next time it could be someone else who wins it.”

The goal came when Mario Rui won the ball well and fed the Georgian on the left. His first cross was cleared back to him but he took on Christopher Trimmel and teed up Raspadori six yards out to finish decisively.

Union had a goal disallowed in the first half, with the impressive David Datro Fofana flagged offside after setting up Janik Haberer, and largely kept their Serie A opponents at arm’s length but remain bottom of the group after a third straight loss.

Coach Urs Fischer told uefa.com: “I’m disappointed. We put in so much to restrict them to just one shot on goal, and we still lost 1-0.

“Despite that, we did a lot well. We weren’t missing too much today.

“The group table doesn’t look good, of course. It’s almost impossible to qualify but that’s the situation we find ourselves in.

“We hoped to get a result but it didn’t come off. Still, I’m really proud of our performance today.”

Related items

  • Aguero: City players must adopt Guardiola mentality to rediscover form Aguero: City players must adopt Guardiola mentality to rediscover form

    Manchester City all-time top scorer Sergio Aguero thinks that the players need to be more like manager Pep Guardiola if they are to continue their golden era.

    Aguero's rallying cry came after City's fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions on Saturday, the first time Guardiola has gone this long without a victory in his career.

    The Citizens have lost four straight games for the first time since August 2006, when Stuart Pearce was manager of the club and are 11 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League. 

    But despite their recent run, the Argentine, who 260 times in 390 appearances for City, is confident that his former side can finish the season with more silverware.

    "I think City are favourites to win everything, including the league, the [FA] Cup, the Club World Cup and the Champions League," he told Sky Sports News.

    "Whatever City has to play for, they'll be the firm favourites. I think it all depends on the mentality they have because it's not easy to always be the favourites."

    Last season, City became the first team in history to win four consecutive Premier League titles but, with their form taking a dip and Guardiola out of contract at the end of the season, there is the potential for instability at the Etihad.

    But, according to Aguero, their manager is the key to their past and future success.

    That frame of mind is understandable, given that Guardiola is the most successful Manchester City manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies – 50% of the major honours in the club's history – with a win percentage of 72%.

    "I think City are where they are because Guardiola knows very well how to keep that mentality," Aguero said.

    "For me, he's the key man for the club so that the players have the same winning mentality.

    "Sometimes it gets difficult to win and it's normal, but Pep's team has been up there since he took charge, and that's something many people don't see.

    "I think we have to acknowledge he's the reason his players have a winning mentality. He's strict and he makes the team be consistent every single game throughout the season.

    "We should take our hats off because it's not easy to be there with the players every day, especially considering the players we're talking about.

    "All the time, he's like, 'come on, we have to keep winning!' Living that every day can get exhausting sooner or later, but he's been doing this for days, months, even years, and I think that's why City are one of the favourites because Pep never rests and he never gives a rest to his players.

    "That, for me, is the key to success for any team."

  • Malacia makes Man Utd comeback after 17 months out Malacia makes Man Utd comeback after 17 months out

    Tyrell Malacia made his injury comeback after a 17-month spell on the sidelines, returning for Manchester United Under-21s against Huddersfield in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday.

    The Netherlands international has not played since coming off the bench for his country against Croatia in the Nations League semi-final in June 2023.

    Since that game, Malacia has had knee surgery twice in an attempt to solve an injury that had proved difficult to manage.

    The 25-year-old made 39 appearances in all competitions for United after signing in the 2022-23 season, but has not featured for the first team since.

    He played for 45 minutes in Huddersfield and was taken off at half-time, although it was a quiet night for him and he rarely got on the ball.

    Malacia's return to competitive action coincided with the day that new head coach Ruben Amorim met some of United's senior players at the training ground.

    Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Leny Yoro, Kobbie Mainoo and Toby Collyer were all among the players he saw while doing their individual injury rehab.

  • Malacia makes injury comeback for Under-21s after 17 months out Malacia makes injury comeback for Under-21s after 17 months out

    Tyrell Malacia made his injury comeback after a 17-month spell on the sidelines, returning for Manchester United Under-21s against Huddersfield in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday.

    The Netherlands international has not played since coming off the bench for his country against Croatia in the Nations League semi-final in June 2023.

    Since that game, Malacia has had knee surgery twice in an attempt to solve an injury that had proved difficult to manage.

    The 25-year-old made 39 appearances in all competitions for United after signing in the 2022-23 season, but has not featured for the first team since.

    He played for 45 minutes in Huddersfield and was taken off at half-time, although it was a quiet night for him and he rarely got on the ball.

    Malacia's return to competitive action coincided with the day that new head coach Ruben Amorim met some of United's senior players at the training ground.

    Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Leny Yoro, Kobbie Mainoo and Toby Collyer were all among the players he saw while doing their individual injury rehab.

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.