Star McTominay hits out at Napoli's 'unacceptable' Champions League performance

 ROME — Napoli star Scots player Scott McTominay made a rare criticism of his team after the side’s 1-1 draw against Copenhagen on Tuesday evening, saying in a post-match interview that it was “unacceptable” that Napoli did not win. 

Former Manchester United player McTominay scored Napoli’s only goal of the match against Copenhagen, and despite the Danish side going down to 10 men in the 35^th minute, Copenhagen managed to equalise in the 72^nd minute.

 This match reflects Napoli’s performance in Europe – missed opportunities leading to a poor performance, despite McTominay’s best efforts to lead the team to victory. Speaking after the match, McTominay expressed his disappointment, saying Napoli not winning was “unacceptable,” adding that they “should have scored second and third goals to close out the game.”

 The Italian side have managed to only win eight points in seven games in the new UEFA Champions League format which sees all 36 teams in one single league, with each team playing eight matches. The top eight teams automatically qualify for the round of 16, while teams in 9th to 24th place qualify for a two-legged knock-out phase to qualify for the round of 16.  Teams outside of the top 24 are automatically eliminated.

 After having played seven matches, Napoli sit in 25^th, just outside of the qualification for the play-offs. The Partenopei have won two matches, drawn two and lost three, including a crushing 6-2 defeat to PSV Eindhoven.

 Napoli’s performance in Europe also reflects a criticism of manager Antonio Conte, who, during his managerial career, has always struggled in Europe despite having multiple domestic titles under his belt including a Premier League title, an FA cup and five scudetti, including a scudetto last season with Napoli.

 Another issue is intense schedules, with Napoli having played three matches in one week 12 times already this season. This tightly packed schedule impacts players’ recovery time, leading to an increased risk of injury, mental stress and physical fatigue – all of which affects the players’ performance on the pitch.

 As Scott McTominay noted in a post-match interview with Sky Sports Italia, Napoli have faced a spate of injuries recently which has impacted their performance, both at home and abroad, with the Azzurri sitting in third in Serie A following several draws against lower placed teams.

 A combination of fixture congestion, injuries and the inability to profit off beneficial situations has hampered Napoli’s Champions League campaign. With only one match left to prove themselves and qualify for the playoffs, the Neapolitan team must rapidly improve its recent performance.

 Napoli will face off against English giants Chelsea who currently sit in eighth place next Wednesday in an attempt to keep their Champions League dreams alive.

 khg