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Napoli are dominating the current 2022-23 Serie A season and appear to be running away with the title. Luciano Spalletti's team are currently leading the table with a fifteen-point advantage over Inter Milan and could wrap up the league early if their form continues. Napoli are definitely the favorite to win their third Scudetto, which would be a historical event considering that they only won two Serie A titles in their history in 1986-87 and 1989-1990, when Diego Armando Maradona was the star of the team. However, despite domestic form, those not considering Napoli as Champions League's contenders are making a mistake. Spalletti's team can compete also on the European level and make even more noise than in Serie A. Here's why:

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Napoli have been outstanding until now and only lost one Serie A game against Inter Milan on Jan. 6. Spalletti's team won the following seven matches and only drew two games so far in the whole season. The Champions League's campaign was a success as the Azzurri won the first five games of the group stage and only lost at Anfield against Liverpool in the last game of the group after they were already qualified for the round of 16. Napoli managed to beat 6-1 Ajax away in what is considered a historical performance. The only negative aspect of the current season so far has been the unexpected elimination against Cremonese on penalties in the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia. 

The key man behind the current success of the club is Spalletti, who was able to create a special atmosphere inside the dressing room especially after some key players left last summer. Club captain Lorenzo Insigne and club legends Dries Mertens and Kalidou Koulibaly all left Napoli in the summer of 2022 and the side immediately replaced them with other players that are delivering incredibly well. Besides the tactical ideas that Spalletti is implementing this year in an effective way, the former AS Roma coach was able to unify a group of young players that are dreaming to do something special this season. 

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As an example, goalkeeper Alex Meret was one step away from joining Spezia, a club that are currently fighting to avoid relegation. He was supposed to leave after Napoli were set to sign Keylor Navas from PSG. However, in the world of transfers, anything can happen and the former Real Madrid player didn't join Napoli and Meret stayed at the club. Spalletti was able to handle a quite difficult situation for both player and club and always supported him publicly and in private. It's not a coincidence that Meret is currently a key player for the club, only conceding 15 goals so far in the Serie A season and has been crucial in some saves that literally saved his teammates. 

Napoli has also been able to count on some unexpected stars such as Georgian talent Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who arrived last summer to replace former captain Insigne. He has been the undoubted star of the club and already scored eleven goals and assisted 14 times to his teammates in all competitions. His vision on the pitch is what sometimes Luciano Spalletti's team to become unpredictable in the attacking side when the Azzurri are keeping the ball. His impact on Champions League has been tremendous as he already scored two goals in the five matches he played. 

Striker Victor Osimhen was injured for a while at the beginning of the season, but unlike the past season when the whole team suffered when he was not fit, this year former Hellas Verona striker Giovanni Simeone was crucial when he was involved. The son of the Atletico de Madrid manager Diego Simeone, he's scored four goals in the five games he played in Champions League and started only twice in six matches. Scoring in the most important European competition was his childhood dream, and with Napoli he achieved what he always wanted since he started to play professional soccer. 

PlayerMatchesStartsGoals

Victor Oshimhen

3

2

1

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

5

5

2

Giovani Simeone

5

2

4

Unlike the past seasons, Napoli's bench players are also performing better. Players such as Elif Elmas, Matteo Politano and Giacomo Raspadori have been an important part of this roster and are good solutions for Spalletti when he needs them. Napoli have been strong and have dominated big clubs in both Serie A and Champions League this campaign, and for these reasons we need to consider them as potential candidates for the European title as well. Of course, they are not favorites to win the competition but they will face Eintracht Frankfurt in the round of 16 and are heavy favorites to move on.  

They have ambition, they play amazing soccer and they also have a tremendous fanbase that is supporting them more than it ever has in the past thirty years. Winning the Scudetto could be incredibly emotional for the whole city, and it seems likely. 

But this team is dreaming for even more.