The Under 19s set the scene for a night of Champions League football with a 3-1 win over the Italian outfit with two goals courtesy of Brahim Diaz and a winning strike by Benjamin Garre.
The Blues’ win was warmly welcomed after a tough 3-0 loss against Everton in their previous fixture.
However, Davies’ youngsters comfortably secured victory at the Academy Stadium on Tuesday and responded incredibly well to Raffaele Russo’s equalising goal, and the Blues manager praised his side for their attitude.
“I thought every player showed enthusiasm,” he explained.
“I know we will talk about the goals but I think it came from the attitude, the reactions to mistakes and wanting to work for each other.
“All the other details and tactical input all comes out too, but it starts with that. We asked for it before the game and we definitely got it.
“We gave a goal away and it was 1-1, and I said to a couple of members of the staff: ‘We will see what the boys are about now and see if they have the courage to play and that determination to still go on a press and try for another goal.’”
There were a number of key players missing from the squad which faced Napoli, with Phil Foden and Joel Latibeaudiere away with the England Under 17s and Demeaco Duhaney unwell, which gave the likes of Colin Rosler and Iker Pozo a chance to impress the boss.
“You’ve got the players that came into the side and took their opportunity and it’s great to see,” Davies said after the match.
“There’s a template and philosophy that we all work to and we just have to keep providing them with the correct challenges.”
Next up, City face Derby County in the Premier League 2 at the Academy Stadium on Saturday 21 October, 11am.
Tickets are on sale now at mancity.com/tickets, with Seasoncard holders and Cityzens Matchday members able to claim a free ticket for this game.
