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Napoli need to attack vs. Real Madrid to reach UCL quarters - Marek Hamsik

Napoli have only one option when they face Real Madrid on Tuesday night -- attack.

That was the approach they took to the away leg, but after losing 3-1 in Madrid, they must now aim to score at least two goals at the sold-out Stadio San Paolo on Tuesday night if they are to have any chance of reaching the Champions League quarterfinals.

With that in mind, there can be only one approach to the game, according to captain Marek Hamsik.

"We're behind and we want to get back into the tie, even if it won't be easy," he said at a news conference on Monday.

"I'm not saying we need to go out there without keeping a level head, but we do have to go out and take risks and above all enjoy ourselves.

"We need to go out and attack. We're two goals down so we have to score. Napoli rarely mess up at home in games like these, so we'll give everything we've got.

"It's going to be a great evening, the whole city is looking forward to this and you can feel it. We've got to enjoy it and ensure our fans enjoy it too. I've played many important games in my career, but certainly it's going to be one I will never forget."

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri hopes it will be a game Real Madrid never forget either, albeit not in a positive sense.

"The pressure should all be on Real Madrid," Sarri said. "They are the world champions, they are the European champions, they are the richest club in the world and they are the ones expected to go through. But we have the best fans in the world and we will see that tomorrow.

"They've scored in 46 games in a row so it could be difficult, but we've got to give it a go."

Given the remarkable consistency with which Real have been scoring, Sarri said his side needs something almost miraculous in defence to go through.

"It's difficult because of their technical and physical quality," Sarri said. "They score more goals than any other club with headers so it's an extremely hard game. The most important aspect, even if it may seem counter-intuitive, is defending for us.

"Even if you play a great game defensively, their attacking strength can still find a way through eventually, so the biggest difficulty in a game like this is trying to contain them as long as you can.

"In attack, I think we can have chances, but we're two goals behind. I think in a game like this, you don't need to think about what chance you've got of going through, you've just got to take the chances you have, even if it's only three percent."

Sarri also dismissed speculation of a rift with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who criticised his tactics in the first leg.

He said the pair had spoken for half an hour, but not even half a minute was spent discussing Tuesday night's game, and that, according to Sarri's words, was also a light-hearted exchange.

"I told him I've sketched a few scenes down on paper and I hope the president likes my imagination," he said. "We spoke about football for 30 seconds and didn't even touch on tomorrow night's game. Let's just hope my genius script-writing skills are not the only genius I've got."