Napoli coach Rafa Benitez isn’t too upset with the club’s loss to Porto on Sunday and insists his squad will be in better form by the start of the season.

The Azzurri had the lead against the Portuguese side after Goran Pandev scored on a penalty kick toward the end of the first half, but fell apart in the second and ended up losing the match 3-1, with one of the conceded goals being an own goal from Federico Fernandez.

Benitez spoke to Napoli’s official website and admitted that the squad still has work to do and shouldn’t be judged on their pre-season performances against Arsenal and Porto.

“It is not a step back,” said the 53-year-old tactician.

“In the first half the team played well, while in the second we should have kept possession much better.

“Next week we will continue working. We’re still 20 days away from the start of the season and some players haven’t been here for long.

“When we are fresh, then we play well. When fatigue sets in and we are faced with such a strong opponent, we do suffer.

“There’s no point analysing the team over two games played at this stage of pre-season preparations, not even on an individual level.”