Maurizio Sarri believes his Napoli side ‘dominated’ Real Madrid for 55 minutes on Tuesday, describing them as ‘the best team in the world’.
Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, Dries Martens clinical finish gave the Italian side the lead on the night but two headers from Sergio Ramos after the break, followed by Alvaro Morata’s late strike, sealed the game for Zinedine Zidane’s men.
"We get the feeling we are not that far off [the top clubs]," Sarri is quoted as saying by Mediaset Premium.
"We dominated the best team in the world for 55 minutes. If we can grow, become more physical, then we can become competitive at this level too.
"It's a young squad, it has a bright future ahead of it. That final step is the hardest, but I get the feeling we can do it.
"Real Madrid are a very strong side; you need a lot of luck to keep the tie open and a bit of luck on the post to put us 2-0 up would have given us more fuel.
"It would have been tough anyway against the reigning champions of Europe and the world, but dominating them for 55 minutes gives us hope for the future."
