Napoli’s Juan Jesus: Sporting leave gaps, we’re ready to trouble them | OneFootball

On the eve of Napoli-Sporting in the Champions League, the Brazilian defender analyzes the opponent and energizes the atmosphere: "We don't feel inferior, we have mentality and quality. Milan's celebrations? It means we are bothersome."

Napoli, Juan Jesus: "Sporting attacks a lot but leaves spaces. Napoli ready to be bothersome"

Less than 24 hours before the Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon, Juan Jesus spoke at a press conference alongside Antonio Conte. The Brazilian defender addressed several topics: from the weekly double commitment to the strength of the Portuguese, including the De Bruyne situation and Napoli's reaction after the defeat at San Siro.

On the pace of the matches and possible mistakes

"Playing every three days doesn't change our way of being on the field. We are 25 guys ready to come in and give our best. Mistakes can happen to anyone, I have made them myself in my career. It's not about not being ready, it's part of football."

De Bruyne case and locker room atmosphere

When asked about the Belgian teammate's discontent, Juan Jesus responded pragmatically: "I don't know exactly what happened, I see there's some controversy around, but this doesn't affect the team. We are ready to bounce back, we need to get three important points both for the Champions League standings and to regain confidence in the league after the defeat."

Sporting Lisbon: strengths and weaknesses

The Brazilian analyzed tomorrow's opponent: "Sporting is a very technical team, they have players like Trincao and Suarez who often rotate in attack. We will have to be good at managing their movements. They attack a lot, but in defense, they leave spaces: we will have to exploit them. Portuguese teams have this offensive mentality and if we manage the game well, we can win."

The importance of victory

"The match is crucial. The more points you get, the calmer you are. We've already left three points in Manchester, so it's essential to get the first points tomorrow. Getting 13 or 14 points would mean moving forward. The three points give you confidence and are needed for the journey, considering that in the last match we will face Chelsea, a very complicated opponent."

Di Lorenzo absent but present

With the captain suspended, Juan Jesus reassured about the group's support: "He doesn't need to tell us anything special, we already know the importance of the match. Di Lorenzo trains and will make his presence felt even if he can't play."

Reaction after Milan

The defender wanted to emphasize the mentality shown against Milan: "We need to improve some things, but there wasn't this clear dominance by the Rossoneri. After the expulsion, everything changed, but the image of seven Napoli players chasing Leao shows our mentality: we don't give up and always try to make amends. We must preserve and improve this spirit."

"We are Napoli, and we are bothersome"

In closing, Juan Jesus asserted the team's attitude and the perception of opponents: "It's September and I see controversies, but it's normal for there to be great expectations. Everyone wants victories, and we hope for them, in all competitions. Milan celebrated as if they had won something more, it means we were bothersome. I'm fine with that, it means Napoli is respected. We have mentality and experience, even with De Bruyne, and we will continue to be bothersome."

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