Mazzarri: Napoli deserved victory

Napoli head coach Walter Mazzarri felt his side were unlucky not to beat Juventus after Friday’s 1-1 draw in the Serie A blockbuster.

Napoli head coach Walter Mazzarri felt his side were unlucky not to beat Juventus after Friday’s 1-1 draw in the Serie A blockbuster.

Giorgio Chiellini headed the reigning champions into the lead but Napoli claimed a point thanks to Gokhan Inler’s leveller on the stroke of half-time.

The Naples-based club had the better of the second half though and should have won all three points, only for Swiss substitute Blerim Dzemaili to spurn a golden chance.

Napoli – who sit second on the table – remain six points adrift of Juventus after the result.

“We deserved all three points,” Mazzarri told Sky Sports Italia.

“I’m content with the way my team played, especially in the second half, which was not easy against such a strong side. It’s a shame for the result, as in the second half I thought Dzemaili’s effort was going in.

“We created a few more scoring opportunities than Juventus. We are doing something phenomenal here and will try to continue until the end.”

“We keep dropping points and should’ve won against Sampdoria. But we’re unlucky at the moment. The proof is Dzemaili’s chance, which seemed impossible to miss.”

Juventus coach Antonio Conte was pleased after the match, with his side holding on to claim a valuable point away from home.

“Considering the first half, we could taste the victory and the chance to put Napoli further behind,” Conte said.

“It didn’t happen, but we put in a strong performance in terms of character despite a very fiery atmosphere. I compliment the players on keeping their heads in this stadium.

“We did well not to lose our calm and stay in the game at all times. There are 11 rounds to go and it’s all open, so we have to keep pedalling at full pace to stay out in front.”

Juventus’ attentions now turn to the UEFA Champions League, with Scottish giants Celtic to visit Turin next week trying to overcome a 3-0 deficit from the first leg in the round-of-16 clash.