Mazzarri wants Napoli to hit the target

Napoli head coach Walter Mazzari has warned his side they must take their goal-scoring chances in order to challenge for the Serie A title.

Mazzari’s team were held to a goalless draw by Catania on Sunday, as they lost their 100 percent record, despite their opposition playing almost the entire game with ten players after Pablo Alvarez was given a red card for bringing down Edinson Cavani in the second minute.

Cavani and his fellow Napoli attackers failed to score with any of their 21 shots, only six of them on target, and while Mazzari conceded opposition teams are focusing on defending in numbers against his side, he maintains they should be good enough to hit the back of the net.

“Our group still has to improve our finishing and take our chances,” Mazzari said.

“We’re used to finding teams closed in the defence department but the match against Catania has been the only match in which we haven’t scored any goal.

“When playing against us, all teams have started closed in defence, but we have always managed to pass their defence.

“If I’m not mistaken we have always scored two or three goals regardless the tactical structure of the opposing team.”

Mazzari revealed he is concerned by the goalless performance against Catania as he looks ahead to his team’s clash with Lazio on Wednesday.

“We should be able to make quick passes and take our chances to score,” Mazzari said.

“Unfortunately I haven’t seen these features in the match against Catania.

“That’s why I say that we should be more careful and we should pay even extra care when facing a team as strong as Lazio.

“We should be able to prove our skills on the pitch; otherwise we will make a poor showing.”

Napoli remain second on the Serie A table despite their draw with Catania and can move level at the top with Juventus if they defeat third-placed Lazio.