The Italians' crown jewels, Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are leading Napoli's Champions League assault ahead of Tuesday's trip to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Napoli, a club in upheaval at the close of the previous season with fans in open revolt, has shocked its supporters and the rest of Europe by becoming Italy's champion-elect and perhaps the most intriguing team in Europe by mid-February.
Although Napoli has never advanced past the round of 16, a window has opened up for Luciano Spalletti's team to compete in Europe's premier tournament because none of the continent's powerhouses is currently playing at their best.
The confidence around Napoli is primarily because of Kvaratskhelia, a summer acquisition, and Osimhen, the league's top scorer, whose destructive tandem is essential to their chances at home and abroad.
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Osimhen, a Nigerian striker, and "Kvaradona," a Georgian wing wizard, have combined to score half of Napoli's 56 league goals. Their talent has already drawn interest from the finest clubs in the world.
At the beginning of the year, Osimhen played eight games and scored nine goals, giving him 18 league goals overall.
The 24-year-old wants to add to his one this year's Champions League goal: he scored in a 4-2 victory against Ajax one month after suffering an injury during a mind-blowing four-goal defeat of Liverpool.
And he is confident that Kvaratskhelia, who has the same amount of goals (12) and assists (12) across all competitions, has plenty more to offer.
The Dark Horses
Nobody predicted Napoli to win their group, including last year's finalists Liverpool, because of the fan demonstrations that preceded their preseason despite their failed bid for the title the previous year.
What transpired afterwards has shocked Italian football and caused the rest of the continent to sit up and take notice: Serie A may not have the same roster of players it once did, but it is still a tremendous accomplishment to be 15 points in front after only 23 games.
Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia scored in Friday's 2-0 victory at Sassuolo. Still, Spalletti claimed that the current Eintracht team had more experience in European competition because they won the Europa League last year.
Kolo Muani is in excellent form in the Bundesliga after his unfortunate error for France in the World Cup final. They provide the kind of challenge that Napoli only sometimes encounters.
But Naples is in such a good mood that even the owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has declared his intention to make a strong showing in this year's competition.
It wouldn't be surprising if Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia advanced to the final eight, given how well they are playing now.
