Allegri, who has 100 Champions League games under his belt, including two Finals for Juventus, has been impressed by Arsenal's defensive prowess. "It's honestly rare to see an English team defend in that way, so they ought to be congratulated for that," he said. Napoli, on the other hand, must make as few mistakes as possible, as they saw yesterday how any error will be immediately punished at this level.
The choices are extremely limited for Napoli this evening, as several key players are injured. Scott McTominay had heart surgery to correct a mild, benign arrhythmia, while Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Noa Lang, Alessandro Buongiorno, Luca Marianucci and Giovane are also out. David Neres is not at 100 per cent either, so Kevin De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour rush their recovery with the first starts of the season.
Allegri has been working on tactics with his team, and is aware of the dangers that Arsenal pose on transitions. "We need technique and to move the ball quickly when we find spaces," he said. "Both Arsenal and Napoli are good in that sense, so we hope for an entertaining match. We want to start the Champions League on the right foot."
The match kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).