Napoli still not at Juventus' level, says Benitez

The Spanish coach claims his side must develop a stronger mentality to compete in multiple tournaments during a season and once more pointed to the Bianconeri's better revenue

Napoli boss Rafa Benitez believes his side must develop a stronger mentality if they are to reach the same level as Juventus.

The Partenopei sealed an impressive 2-0 win over the league leaders on Sunday, and while he was impressed with his side's display, Benitez feels his charges must maintain their concentration throughout the season if they are to challenge for supremacy in Serie A.

"No performance is ever perfect. Tonight it was a top-level game against a top-level team. I said the squad would make the difference over a season, but in the starting XI anything can happen," Benitez told Sky Sport Italia.

"It's not easy, as we don't have as much strength in depth as Juventus and it becomes even tougher when you see Roma ahead of us aren't making any mistakes.

"It was key to have possession, which in the first half was remarkable as Juve only had 38 per cent. We could have scored more, but by keeping possession we ensured Juve couldn't hurt us.

"We played many games at a high level and it's tough to maintain that level throughout the season without remarkable strength in depth, especially when it's a Champions League game followed by a less important fixture.

"This step up in mentality is what we need to reach the level of a side like Juve."

Antonio Conte took a swipe at Napoli in his post-match interview, claiming they have developed very little despite investing over €100 million in the squad this season, but Benitez once again pointed to Juve's better financial turnover as proof that the Bianconeri should not complain over spending.

"A coach must try to keep that intensity up, but it requires time and experienced players who are prepared to sit on the bench. Today [Carlos] Tevez wasn't playing, so [Pablo Daniel] Osvaldo and [Mirko] Vucinic were ready.

"This is a winning squad that can cover all areas, which again is why I mentioned the revenue of the two clubs."