The coach openly expressed his disappointment following the 2-0 loss at City`s home ground, a defeat significantly impacted by captain Di Lorenzo`s early expulsion after just 20 minutes.
A profound sense of frustration permeated Antonio Conte`s post-match comments, as he lamented not being able to experience such a special occasion in the way he had envisioned. “I hear talk of a bitter taste, and it’s a feeling we all share because it`s truly disappointing,” Conte stated. “We had prepared the game exactly as we played it for the first 20 minutes, and then this expulsion ruined the entire challenge. Whether it was justified or not, I can`t say for sure. But it`s already difficult enough to play with equal numbers, let alone with a man down; it simply becomes impossible. If we hadn`t been reduced to ten men, we would certainly have caused them more problems.”
The Expulsion
The undisputed turning point of the match was the expulsion of Di Lorenzo, which left Napoli numerically disadvantaged for the majority of the game. At that critical juncture, Conte made the tactical decision to substitute De Bruyne to restore equilibrium to his team. Ironically, De Bruyne is a player who has been a symbol for the Citizens. Conte reflected on the situation with a touch of melancholy: “Sometimes fate plays tricks on you; there’s a cruel twist of fate. Last year, we only suffered one expulsion. Today, we play in the Champions League, and after just twenty minutes, we find ourselves a man down. It pained me to take Kevin off, both for the loss of his contribution to the team and for him personally, as he didn`t get the satisfaction of being on the field in his old stadium against his former club.”
Team`s Attitude
Despite the adverse circumstances, the coach was keen to commend the attitude of his “Azzurri” squad. “I am very honest,” he affirmed. “In the first twenty minutes, I had a strong feeling that we had prepared the game perfectly, pressing them high, and with the ball, I sensed we could inflict damage. I`m disappointed because these are the kinds of matches where an expulsion ruins the entire context, making fair evaluations impossible. After a while, fatigue inevitably sets in, so around the 70th minute, I made three substitutions to inject more freshness into the team. Politano found himself playing as the fifth defender, but that`s not his natural role. He tracks back well, but it`s not his position, and we had to deviate from our natural game. However, regarding their mentality and dedication, I have absolutely nothing to complain about; I leave this challenge with positive feelings as we look ahead to our journey in the Champions League. The players truly came here with the right spirit,” Conte continued.
Haaland`s Impact
Erling Haaland`s goal decisively shifted the momentum entirely in Manchester City`s favor. Conte pinpointed an error in Napoli`s defensive phase that ultimately led to the Norwegian`s strike. “These are matches where you are constantly forced to defend,” he explained. “We conceded the goal when we applied pressure on a wide ball and made a mistake. We had set up to play aggressively, but with a numerical disadvantage, our strategy had to change to containment, hoping for a counter-attack, even though that`s not a tactic we ideally want to employ. We should have been more mature, understood the situations better, because it was an act of excessive generosity. I am, however, pleased with the overall attitude; last year, we practically never ended up playing with ten men. I was more frustrated about the conclusion of the match against Fiorentina. If you don`t use your head and aren`t well-organized on the field, you can suffer memorable heavy defeats. Manchester City could have scored that particular goal even if it had been eleven against eleven,” Conte concluded.
