Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti is satisfied with their progress after victory over Bologna.

At the midway stage, Napoli are nine points adrift of leaders Juventus.

Ancelotti said, “We're on track, I'd say, with expectations. We had some good results that have only been watered down by an extraordinary Juventus run.

“We should be optimistic, as we are closer to the top than we are fifth place. We did everything we could in the Champions League, but this team has not yet expressed its full potential. We can do more and we will improve.

“It's a healthy group with real professionals, so that makes my job easier. We changed a few things from last season and they adapted very well.

“There are players like Simone Verdi, Piotr Zielinski, Arkadiusz Milik and Fabian Ruiz who still have more to prove and I expect them to reach another level.

“Squad rotation is complicated if you have more than 20 outfield players. Right now, we have 21 and Vlad Chiriches is also coming back from injury."