Even though Napoli is one of the most competitive teams in Europe, Milan manager Stefano Pioli has no cause for concern over the Champions League.
"Nobody is perfect or unbeatable," Stefano Pioli insisted as Milan prepared to defeat Napoli in the all-Italian Champions League quarterfinal match.
On April 12, Milan and Napoli will face off in a European match for the first time at San Siro, with Luciano Spalletti's team now leading both Serie A and UEFA's top club competition.
The Partenopei lead the Italian top-flight summit by 19 points and have been mentioned frequently as a potential threat to win the European championship.
Nonetheless, Milan has won four and drawn four of its nine all-Italian matchups in Europe (W4 D4), and Pioli sees no reason why the Rossoneri can't imagine moving past Spalletti's strong team.
"Honestly, I'd rather not meet an Italian side," the Milan coach admitted. It is preferable to play an international team in the Champions League. Although Napoli is a very powerful team, we want to compete.
They have all the qualities of a great team—high consistency, strength, and quality—but none is flawless or unstoppable.
Since losing to Pep Guardiola's Barcelona in the 2011–12 season, Pioli's team has not advanced past the round of eight in the Champions League.
Milan previously advanced past that point in the 2006–07 campaign on its way to winning the title, but defeating Napoli will prove to be a very challenging task.
After losing all five of their previous trips to Milan in cup competitions, Napoli has won each of their last three road games against the Rossoneri, which is their greatest streak against them.
Pioli wants to continue Milan's Champions League success, but he also believes that the Rossoneri must lose focus on the Serie A top-four race, in which they are only one point ahead of fifth-placed Roma.
He continued, "It's a part of this club's history and the course it has always taken. "As we start to write our history, Milan's journey in the Champions League differs from ours.
"The Champions League game at San Siro is a thrilling and stunning event that involves everyone.
"While we are tremendously busy, the league is also a priority.
We need to compete in the Champions League the following season in order to have a successful campaign. We must exercise caution."
Milan travels to Napoli in Serie A on Sunday before the tantalizing European match, with the Rossoneri's Scudetto presumably headed for Naples soon.
Although the Italian claimed Milan's young team will always find it difficult to defend their title, Pioli's team has been unable to duplicate their success from last season's title-winning campaign.
He continued, "I don't think there are many teams in Europe that instantly win the second league. "Thanks to a project and a club route we are proud of, we won with a relatively young team.
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