Napoli wanted to react after a disappointing week, following the surprising 6-2 defeat towards PSV within the UEFA Champions League, and react they did towards top-of-the-line groups round Europe proper now, Cristian Chivu’s Inter. The Azzurri received 3-1 on the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in entrance of their dwelling followers and acquired again on observe in the suitable second and in the suitable match, exhibiting their Serie A rivals they’re nonetheless the group to beat this season after what occurred final 12 months, when Antonio Conte’s group received the title on the final matchday of the season. The Italian supervisor was absolutely the star of the present on this victory, along with his beginning lineup selections and an heated conflict along with his former striker, Lautaro Martinez.
After the European disappointment, Conte spoke to Sky Italy and expressed his issues on the brand new season and the gamers signed over the summer time 2025. “Final 12 months we received a unprecedented and unbelievable championship the place everybody pushed their limits with unity throughout the board. This 12 months, nevertheless, between enjoying so many video games and bringing in so many gamers in my view, 9 new gamers have been too many. We weren’t balanced. I’ve at all times stated this 12 months can be tough, there are some facets that take time to soak up.” He put his cash the place his mouth was as Conte determined to bench a lot of the summer time signings together with strikers Lorenzo Lucca, Noa Lang and heart again Sam Beukema, exhibiting as soon as once more his issues for the present roster.
The Azzurri suffered within the first a part of the sport whereas Inter had some massive possibilities to attain the opening aim earlier than a a lot mentioned penalty awarded to the house group, later scored by Kevin De Bruyne, the one summer time signing who began the match alongside goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. Nonetheless, the previous Manchester Metropolis midfielder acquired injured whereas taking the penalty, forcing Conte to exchange him early within the match.
Among the many selections taken by the Italian supervisor, probably the most fascinating one is in regards to the central striker. Conte deployed the same old 4-1-4-1 with David Neres enjoying up entrance as an alternative of a extra bodily striker like Lucca, who was benched just a few days after receiving a crimson card towards PSV, whereas each Rasmus Hojlund and Romelu Lukaku are at the moment injured. De Bruyne’s damage, which does not look like a short-term one, is more likely to drive a tactical rethink for the Azzurri. Conte might decide to return to the 4-3-3 system used in the course of the 2024–25 season, quite than deploying each the Belgian midfielder and Scott McTominay collectively, the most important tactical adjustment of the brand new marketing campaign.
Nonetheless, one of the mentioned moments of the second half was Antonio Conte’s on-pitch conflict with Inter captain Martínez. The 2 exchanged phrases from a distance after Conte had already been concerned in a heated argument with one other Inter participant, Denzel Dumfries. Talking to DAZN after the sport, Conte did not go simple on the Inter captain: “Lautaro is a wonderful participant, although possibly I did not get the possibility to essentially know him on a private degree. I want him all one of the best, and that is wonderful by me.”
Again in 2021, the 2 had an argument when Conte was the Inter supervisor and received the Scudetto in the course of the 2020-21 season, with Lautaro main the group. Lately, the Argentinian star went again and talked in regards to the episode. “We had a bit of argument on the time and it was finally resolved. My teammates then arrange a boxing ring as a joke, it was higher to snicker about it! It was a good second and helped us chill out.” Nonetheless, maybe issues weren’t as settled as he steered.
