Napoli manager Antonio Conte commended his squad’s adaptability after their 2-2 draw against Lazio on Saturday, a result that could see them relinquish the Serie A top spot if Inter Milan secure a win against Juventus on Sunday.
“I can’t help but be satisfied with the performance. We knew the type of team Lazio is,” Conte said post-match.
Despite dropping points in back-to-back games at the Stadio Olimpico—first against Roma and now Lazio—Conte emphasized his team’s fighting spirit.
“There is certainly regret because in the space of 15 days, we have dropped four points here at the Olimpico, two with AS Roma and two today. (But) this match was slightly different to the one two weeks ago, this draw has a greater specific weight. We have shown that we don’t want to give up regardless of the inconveniences we are encountering,” he stated.
Napoli had previously drawn 1-1 against Roma after conceding a last-minute equalizer and followed that with another 1-1 result at home against Udinese. However, Conte remained upbeat about his players’ response to adversity.
“I really like the spirit of these guys who always want to go beyond the obstacle,” he said. “We would not have this ranking without this spirit, (which) is extraordinary for what we are doing. Someone may think differently, (but) today the match was positive despite our fourth change of formation.
“Those who know football and know how difficult it is to work on a formation understand how much work is behind changing it four times in seven months. We move forward with our heads held high with the goal of always leaving with a sweaty shirt.”
Napoli’s injury woes deepened ahead of the Lazio clash, with forward David Neres sidelined for a month due to a muscular injury, adding to the existing absences of defenders Mathias Olivera and Leonardo Spinazzola. Conte revealed that these setbacks forced further tactical adjustments.
“When we learned about Neres’ injury, in addition to Spinazzola and Olivera’s ones, we adapted,” he explained.
Conte also highlighted the challenge of reintegrating Alessandro Buongiorno after his two-month layoff, making a four-man defense difficult to execute.
“The boys did well, we have concepts that are valid regardless of the system and they interpreted the match at their best,” Conte said. “I didn’t want to change the three-man midfield and exploit the characteristics of the midfielders, we’ll see for how long we use this system.”
Despite the setbacks, Napoli remain in the title race, with Conte confident in his team’s ability to compete as the season progresses.
