Young manager who studied Bielsa’s methods is gaining admirers after lifting his side up to second with a 2-0 win
Roberto De Zerbi sometimes struggles to sleep before a big game. At an online event hosted by sports leaders from his hometown, Brescia, in May, the Sassuolo manager confessed to obsessing over opponents’ strengths, adapting his team’s preparations to a degree that he suspects might be counterproductive.
This weekend’s adversaries offered plenty of material to keep him up at night. Napoli had scored 14 goals in four Serie A games, winning all of them, with €70m new addition Victor Osimhen integrating seamlessly and Hirving Lozano starting to show his quality alongside the established combination of Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens. Their only defeat thus far was a notional one – handed down after a no-show against
Juventus. They were touted already as title contenders.