Sarri insists Juventus remain Scudetto favourites

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri remains humble, d
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espite his side’s table-topping form this season, and is adamant that Juventus are still the team to beat in Serie A.

The San Paolo side went top of the table following last weekend’s results, holding a two-point lead over Juventus and Inter, but Sarri anticipates a huge task to hold off the reigning champions, who have won their last nine league games.

“We are not getting carried away. We simply cannot afford to,” Sarri said at a news conference. “We know what we have achieved so far and we can still grow.

“But I have always said that Juventus are the favourites to win the Scudetto. They have won four titles in a row, made it to the Champions League final last season and have a significantly bigger budget than anyone else.

“We are still playing in three different competitions. We are going to need the entire team. Everybody is vital. I knew that we would make steps forward. The main thing is to keep working hard now. We have to do everything within our powers to keep performing consistently.”

Napoli will be looking to add three more points to their tally at the weekend when they take on Sassuolo, but Sarri has warned they cannot afford to take Saturday’s encounter lightly.

“Sassuolo are a strong team,” he added.

“They have a clear philosophy and are a dangerous, important team.

“Sassuolo beat Juventus and Inter, while they drew versus Roma and Fiorentina. It will be a difficult game.”