Sacchi: Why Roma v Napoli feels like the Premier League, credit Gasp and Conte | OneFootball

Arrigo Sacchi analyzes Roma-Napoli on Gazzetta, the big match tomorrow evening at the Olimpico, and he immediately identifies the key to the clash: intensity, rhythm, aggressiveness, continuous pressure. In short, a match with characteristics increasingly close to the English style.

Sacchi: “I'll explain why Roma-Napoli is a Premier League-style clash. And the credit goes to Gasp and Conte”

The former coach and historic icon of modern football is convinced that between Roma and Napoli we will see a “Premier League-style” game, not so much for the spectacle itself, but for the technical, tactical, and athletic battle that the two coaches are capable of generating.

“A battle, not just a spectacle”

Sacchi starts with an analysis of the moment:

“Roma-Napoli will be an English-style clash: high pace, full-field marking, speed of execution, desire to dominate the field.”

And he adds a crucial element: the recovery factor. Napoli played on Tuesday evening in the Champions League; Roma on Thursday in the Europa League.

Two days of difference that, according to him, could weigh on the outcome of the match, both mentally and physically.

Gasperini and Conte: “The two best coaches in Serie A”

Sacchi has no doubts: Conte and Gasperini are the two most complete coaches in the league. Not only for their ideas but for their ability to shape a team, lead it, and demand the maximum from it.

He defines them as true “masters”:

“I like their technical-tactical ideas. They teach, explain, correct, support when needed, and reprimand when necessary. I often see myself in them.”

Sacchi recalls that he too was inflexible in demanding discipline and reliability, but he emphasizes that this does not mean being rigid: it only means being consistent with a project.

And in this, the two coaches excel.

Roma: compactness, identity, sacrifice

The league-leading Roma, for Sacchi, is the direct result of Gasperini's work.

It is not the strongest team in Serie A, but it is among the most organized:

it presses fiercely,

is compact and orderly,

moves as a true collective,

everyone works for everyone, without exceptions.

“The team is compact, helps each other, plays vertically, defends with eleven. It’s an extraordinary result, achieved in a very short time.”

According to Sacchi, Roma's strength is not in individual talents but in the group, shaped by a coach who knows how to build identity in a short time.

Napoli: more quality in the squad, but emergencies to manage

Regarding Napoli, Sacchi acknowledges the greatness of the previous season:

“Conte miraculously led Napoli to win the championship.”

In this league, there have been setbacks, especially physical ones, but the team's identity has remained intact.

Now the task will be to recover the injured players and push forward again.

The squad, compared to Roma's, is richer:

“From a technical standpoint, Napoli has a deeper and more competitive squad.”

But Gasperini, Sacchi warns, is someone who knows how to turn situations around in difficult moments, and the Olimpico crowd can become a decisive factor.

Impossible prediction, but one certainty remains

Sacchi does not commit to a result. Too much uncertainty, too much quality on both sides, too much expected intensity.

“The match is very open. I hope there will be a battle on the field, and that it will be a fair battle.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.