Napoli suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 2-1 to AC Milan at San Siro, which ended their impressive 16-game unbeaten streak in Serie A. While this loss is certainly painful, it doesn`t diminish the Azzurri`s ambitions; they remain the top favorites in the Scudetto race.
Coach Antonio Conte expressed disappointment with the two goals conceded, emphasizing that the team could have performed much better defensively. However, he also praised his squad for their courage to play attacking football at San Siro against Milan, considering it the right approach. Despite Milan playing with a numerical disadvantage for over half an hour, Napoli failed to equalize.
Player Performances Under Scrutiny
The defeat against the `Rossoneri` also brought to light some critical issues: an imperfect approach and subdued performances from certain key players. McTominay and De Bruyne, for instance, had an adequate but not decisive game, which also fueled the Belgian`s discontent.
Conte issued a stern warning to De Bruyne: “I hope he was upset about the result, because if he was upset about other things, he found the wrong person.”
The coach further indicated the need to rely more on attacking wingers like Lang and Neres to change the rhythm and make an impact when called upon.
Defensive Challenges and New Arrivals
Finally, Napoli`s defense struggled due to numerous absences, forcing Conte to field an unusual backline. “The new players who have arrived must help us because there are many matches. Today, we also had to deal with defensive problems…” Conte stated, concluding with satisfaction for the performances of debutants Mariannucci and Gutierrez.
The league season is still long, but the work required to maintain their high standards and repeat their success is equally extensive.
