Il Mattino: ‘Five-man defence’ – Mazzarri’s tactical change ahead of Milan-Napoli

Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri is planning on making a fairly significant tactical change in view of Sunday night’s game at San Siro against AC Milan, according to the local press in Naples.

It has been a chaotic title defence for Napoli who lost Luciano Spalletti and replaced him with Rudi Garcia who didn’t even make it to the end of November, meaning Mazzarri came in as an interim until the end of the season.

The results since then have been mixed but the Partenopei are keeping hopes of a top four finish alive, and tactically their caretaker boss is planning some changes before facing Stefano Pioli’s side.

According to Il Mattino (via Radio Rossonera), Giovanni Simeone still appears to be the favourite to start up front because Mazzarri will aim for a ‘five-man defence’ as opposed to the 4-3-3 that he has leaned on more in recent weeks.

The choice of striker is not the only decision made in advance by Mazzarri before the game though. Sergio Olivera and Alex Meret are about to return to group training and could return, but it was Ostigard who was tried in the defensive line in training.

In possession it will switch to more of a three-man back line with Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Paolo Mazzocchi as the wing-backs, the with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka in a double pivot.

Probable Napoli XI (3-4-3): Gollini; Juan Jesus, Ostigard, Rrahmani; Di Lorenzo, Anguissa, Lobotka, Mazzocchi; Politano, Simeone, Kvaratskhelia.