Di Francesco: We need to close the gap on our rivals

The game at the Stadio San Paolo gets underway at 20:30 local time.

What sort of form are the two teams in coming into this match?

“Napoli played really well against PSG in the Champions League and should have won. They seem to be in great shape both physically and mentally. We played very well ourselves, with the right mentality and a lot of commitment. We picked ourselves up after losing to SPAL.”

Last season Roma went to Napoli in a similar frame of mind. What sort of game are you expecting tomorrow?

“I expect the same attitude and the same sort of performance as last year. I want to see the desire to produce a top performance - we're going to need a top performance because we're up against a very good side with players who are used to playing together. They play slightly differently now and have a highly experienced coach. They're an excellent team, as they were last year.”

How is Carlo Ancelotti's Napoli different to Maurizio Sarri's?

“Lots of things are similar but [Lorenzo] Insigne is playing in a different position. He's very good in any area of the pitch, as we saw against PSG and in lots of other games. They focus less on possession but they're better at getting the ball forward quickly and getting shots in.”

How are Daniele De Rossi, Aleksandar Kolarov and Alessandro Florenzi?

“De Rossi and Kolarov are better but they're not at their best. Kolarov has trained with the team and that's important for his fitness because playing games is not enough – you need to train as well. De Rossi played against CSKA so we've tried to help him recover this week. Florenzi has trained and I think he's available.”

Will you alter your defensive line depending on how Ancelotti sets up?

“I'd have to call him to find that out. In any case, you don't choose your line-up based solely on the opposition – or rather, you don't decide it at the last minute. You prepare during the week. I base my choices mainly on the condition of my players.”

Have your players shown the attitude you called for after the SPAL game?

“It's annoying to think we needed to get beaten to realise certain things. We've tripped up other times and we can't afford to. We're going to struggle to qualify for the Champions League if we slip up again so we really must prepare for games better.”

Are Napoli better than Roma?

“They're better than us at the moment because they have more points than we do. It was the same last year but we reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. It's too early to say. I'll tell you further down the line when my players have improved and become more consistent in their results and performances. Napoli are an excellent side – they're Juventus' closest rivals. They're clearly more consistent than us at the moment. So are Inter.”

What do you think of Ancelotti?

“I'd love to see certain coaches at work on the training ground. You can see he gives something extra to his team. We play different ways but I really like the way he manages the team and goes about things. I'd be interested to see how he deals with his players.”

Roma were ahead of Napoli for several years. Which team do you think has more margin for growth at the moment?

“We have to believe we can close the gap with them and this is an important game that can help us do that. I think we have more for margin for growth. They've settled on a tactical system while we're still looking for the best solutions for our game. We must improve if we want to compete and climb even higher.”

What do you think Roma's opponents expect when they play against you?

“I think they're worried because they never know which team they're going to be up against – one that plays really well or one that loses its way after ten minutes. We're unpredictable, even for me sometimes. We must be consistent. It's fine that opponents find us unpredictable, though. We have opportunities coming up and we must make sure we take them.”

Is Insigne in the false nine role the biggest threat to you tomorrow?

“I think he's played more as a second striker or wide on the left. [Dries] Mertens has played more as a false nine. Insigne is good when he plays off the front man. He understands when to make runs in behind. We'll need to keep tabs on him and all the others. We know he could cause problems for us. He's certainly Napoli's danger man.”

Given the pace Napoli have in their team, have you thought of playing with a faster defender than Federico Fazio?

“I don't want to tell Ancelotti everything. That's a fair analysis but we might stick with the same side that played against CSKA. We have our last training session today and it will be important to assess my players' condition.”