Rafa Benitez seems to have finally woken up to the fact that the Swans will pose a serious threat for his Napoli team on Thursday night and could spring one of the European shocks of the season.

You would have thought that having seen his then Chelsea side prevented for scoring in two games in last season's Capital One Cup semi final the Napoli boss may have realised the threat posed by the Swans who were the best side in every department last week at the Liberty.

Benitez can count himself lucky that he goes into the game on level terms after the battering his team took in the first leg where only some squandered chances and some great goalkeeping kept the scoreline level in a game that the Swans dominated pretty much from the off.

And as the hundreds of travelling Jacks start their pilgrimage from South Wales to Italy, Benitez has spoken abut how he believes that another high intensity encounter can be expected as he looks for the formula that he hopes will steer his own side into the last 16 of the competition.

The former Liverpool manager watched the Swans game against his former club on Sunday where they fought back from 2-0 and 3-2 down to draw level before losing out by the odd goal in seven in a pulsating encounter.

And speaking yesterday from Naples, Benitez said "I watched the Swansea game (against Liverpool), it had the usual level of intensity,

"They have a strong enough squad to play against us with intensity too."

The Napoli boss appeared to afford the Swans too much space particularly in the first half at the Liberty last week, an advantage that they exploited with a passing and attacking game that has been their forte for much of the last seven or eight years.

Chance after chance reigned in on the Napoli goal and it was a mystery to most inside the Liberty Stadium on Thursday last week how the game was goalless at half time.

Napoli drew 1-1 at home on Monday night against Genoa - a result that attracted much criticism of his side and he knows where their own failings lie ahead of the Swans clash

"The final pass is the most difficult and I do agree that is a problem, as we worked so hard to reach the edge of the box and then it goes wrong."

From our point of view we have to hope that the problems continue on Thursday night and maybe once more Benitez will experience the pain of a two legged defeat against the Swans.

Photo: Action Images

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