Champions League can heal Napoli's domestic wounds - but they need Kvara on top form as soon as possible

The Champions League spotlight is here to help turn around a tough time and finally put that fateful missed penalty against Milan in the quarter-finals last April behind us. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will try to make the most of the big stage in Portugal, in Braga, this Wednesday night to respond with actions on the field to those who think that the Georgian star was just a shooting star.

It will mainly be up to him and Victor Osimhen to lead Napoli and kickstart their European journey. But it won't be a walk in the park if the team continues to perform as it has recently and if Neapolitan "diamonds" aren't polished up.

It's evident that Kvaratskhelia isn't the same devastating player he was last season - the one who earned him the Serie A MVP title, the Best Young Player in the Champions League, and even a Ballon d'Or and FIFA The Best nomination. The Georgia international hasn't scored in six months, and he's been sidelined with muscle problems since the pre-season camp in Castel Di Sangro. Head coach Rudi Garcia spared him in the Frosinone opener but gradually gave him more playing time in subsequent games.

The Frenchman handed Kvara a starting spot against Lazio (for an hour of play) and against Genoa at Marassi last Saturday. Kvaratskhelia responded with his usual generosity. However, those trademark bursts, mesmerizing dribbles, and unpredictable accelerations that he used to delight the Napoli fans have been all too rare. And there have been moments of frustration, like during his substitution at the Ferraris stadium, which he obviously hated. Khvicha didn't comprehend the change and expressed his perplexity towards the Napoli bench. This was surely a product of a cloudy moment, amplified by the team's poor results and his own lacklustre performances, most likely because he's not yet in peak physical condition.

In the first half against Lazio, though, he created the most dangerous moments for the Serie A holders. However, his fuel ran out quickly. At Marassi, after the international break and playing 180 minutes with the Georgian national team, Kvaratskhelia showed improvement, consistently forcing his markers into yellow card territory and even attempting shots towards Josep Martinez's goal. But we're still talking about a distant relative of last year's Kvaratskhelia. In the end, the champions could only draw 2-2 with the newly-promoted Genovese.

The Neapolitans' task of retaining the Scudetto is a tough one. Their rivals, Inter and Juventus, are in much better shape than they were last season - and the Partenopei themselves are in a period of transition after the departure of Luciano Spalletti, the man who led them to glory last season. The longer the team's adaptation to Garcia's ideas lasts, the more difficult it will be to stay in the running. It's where Kvaratskhelia's input will be precious.