Napoli’s Marek Hamsik (left) tries to force his way through during Sunday’s 1-0 upset to Chievo.

Napoli’s season is already at a crossroads.

This might sound strange at such an early stage of the season but the Partenopei’s 2014/15 campaign has started on a bad note.

Unless the Coppa Italia holders up their game and improve defensively, they face an uphill struggle to make a creditable quest for a top-three finish, let alone challenge for the title.

La Liga outfit Athletic Bilbao profited from Napoli’s shambolic defen-ding to knock them out (4-2 on aggregate) in the Champions League play-offs.

A last-gasp 2-1 win at Genoa on the opening day of the Serie A augured well for the two-times champions but on Sunday, Napoli went down to unfancied Chievo at the San Paolo Stadium, bringing back memories of several priceless points dropped against modest opponents in the past few seasons.

Tomorrow, Napoli have the perfect opportunity to kickstart their Europa League campaign as they host Sparta Prague.

This encounter should enable Napoli to put an end to an unimpressive run of home results against Czech opponents.

So far, Napoli have failed to keep a clean sheet in the four official games they have played.

This is not a positive sign as a solid defence is usually a prerequisite for a side harbouring aspirations to achieve success.

In the transfer window, Napoli signed French defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Belgian club Genk for €8 million. Although promising, the ex-Metz centre-half lacks international experience.

The 23-year-old’s acquisition should be seen as an investment for the future but there are doubts over his ability to make an instant impact on Napoli’s defence.

However, it is in central midfield where Napoli are struggling most.

Jorginho, Gokhan Inler and Walter Gargano are not giving enough protection to the defence.

Going forward, these three midfielders lack the finesse to supply Gonzalo Higuain and company with ammunition.

Christian Maggio is not the player he was whereas Dutch midfielder Jonathan De Guzman is still settling down following his late transfer from Villarreal.

Nevertheless, the former Swan-sea loanee scored Napoli’s winning goal against Genoa after coming on as a second-half substitute for Marek Hamsik.

It is in attack where Napoli possess their best talent in Higuain, Dries Mertens, Jose Maria Callejon, Lorenzo Insigne, Duvan Zapata and Michu, the new signing from Swansea.

Up front, unlike the other departments, coach Rafa Benitez is spoilt for choice. Most of the time, it’s either Mertens or Italy striker Insigne who are left on the bench but the duo are failing to make their mark when coming on as subs.

Euro setback

With the benefit of hindsight, it would have made more sense had Napoli sold one of these strikers to finance the signing of a quality defender or midfielder.

Psychologically, the Napoli players have yet to come to terms with the harsh reality of being out of the Champions League.

Some are already speculating that Benitez’s days in Naples are numbered. His contract, worth €3.5m per season, is due to expire in June. The Spaniard, the highest-paid coach in the Serie A, has come under fire for going on vacation during the international break.

Last year, Napoli failed to make it past the group stages of the Champions League and were also knocked out of the Europa League.

The Partenopei’s highlight occur-red late in the season when they lifted the Coppa Italia – their second in three years and fifth overall.

Napoli’s third-place finish was never in jeopardy last season. But it could be a different story this time around as Inter, Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina all seem strong enough to battle for a top-three finish.

With Juventus and Roma still heads and shoulders above the rest, Napoli must watch their backs.