Today at 2:45 p.m. ET, Napoli and Arsenal go head-to-head in UEFA Champions League Group F action live from Stadio San Paolo in Italy. The game can be live streamed here.
Napoli coach Rafa Benitez knows his team needs to bring its "A" game if it hopes to beat Arsenal in this Champions League contest as both teams enter play hoping to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
Arsenal leads the pool and is three points ahead of Dortmund and Napoli. Napoli will either have to beat Arsenal by a 3-0 margin or better the result of Dortmund, which goes up against Marseille.
"We know that Arsenal are very strong but we will try," Benitez said in Tuesday's press conference per ESPN. "My team has to give 100 percent. My players know how important Wednesday's game is and they have all trained really well. We have nothing to lose. For us to play at home gives us an added strength. We were unlucky to be placed in such a difficult group but for me, it's better to experience these games rather than watch them on TV."
Benitez knows the importance of scoring an early goal to gain momentum.
"We will try to score as soon as possible and then we will see what the other result is in the other [group] game," he said via ESPN. "The result between Olympique and Borussia Dortmund can help us but the message I have given to my players is to focus on ourselves. We will go out determined to win by either scoring one or more goals."
Arsenal was held to a 1-1 draw by Everton Sunday and leads the Premier League by five games. Arsene Wenger's team has lost just one game in Europe this season, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund in October.
"In modern football everyone knows the quality of their rivals," Benitez told ESPN. "Arsenal is a very strong side. This could be the year they win the Premier League. For me Wenger is the best coach in the Premier League and knows what his team must do."
Benitez is hopeful goalkeeper Pepe Reina will play after missing Saturday's 3-3 draw with Udinese due to a muscle injury.
Rafael will man the goal if Reina is unable to go while midfielder Valon Behrami (foot) is doubtful and Marek Hamsik (foot) is out.
Goran Pandev and Gonzalo Higuain will partner up front.
Wenger is hopeful his side will show up.
"I see it as another game we want to win, and that is the only way we can approach the game," Wenger told ESPN. "Benitez has a very big experience, is a very intelligent manager, so I know he will prepare his team well. The only way we can counter that is to be at our best and put in a good performance as an average performance will not be good enough. For me the most important thing is to qualify. If we can finish top, it is even better."
It'll be a highly competitive game when Arsenal and Napoli hit the pitch this afternoon.
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