Napoli’s 3-0 loss to Juventus at Allianz Stadium leaves Antonio Conte’s side facing a serious setback in the Serie A title race, with Conte dismissing any talk of retaining the Scudetto and stressing the wider challenges Napoli are facing in a difficult campaign.
The defeat means Napoli stay nine points behind league leaders Inter, who are strongly favoured in the projections. Opta’s supercomputer now gives Napoli only a 4.3% chance of finishing top, compared with 12.8% for AC Milan and 78.6% for Simone Inzaghi’s Inter.
Conte is clear that talk about the title is misplaced after such a result, especially given Napoli’s position in the 36-team standings. Conte’s side sit 25th and must now focus on securing enough points to reach the Champions League
play-off round, starting with a crucial home match.
In Turin, Juventus punished Napoli with clinical finishing. Jonathan David struck first, with Kenan Yildiz and Filip Kostic adding further goals. It is only the third time under Conte that Napoli have lost a Serie A match by at least three goals, after previous defeats against Hellas Verona and Atalanta early this season.
The setback also ends an impressive run. Napoli had gone nine games unbeaten in all competitions, with five victories and four draws, since their last defeat on 14 December. That sequence stabilised their season, but this loss could have major consequences for their domestic and European ambitions.
Conte also pointed to the heavy physical schedule and the mental strain on the squad, while refusing to abandon the campaign. It's an absurd question at this moment. We're not getting off the boat because there are still 16 league matches to go, and there are still many objectives, Conte said. Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, we try to do our best, keeping the best possible attitude. The lads are giving everything. I see what they're enduring, even risking their physical condition by playing every three days. It's inevitable that in the end someone gets injured. I hope not. This season has been something incredible.It'sbetter to smile.It means we are paying for something we did in the past.
Despite the clear scoreline, Conte argued that the contest stays balanced until the second half. Napoli’s attack, however, creates little. They register only nine shots and an expected goals value of 0.52, compared with Juventus’ 12 efforts and an xG figure of 1.49.
Romelu Lukaku provides one notable moment for Napoli, making a first competitive appearance of the season. Lukaku comes on in the 79th minute for Antonio Vergara, but the change arrives too late to alter the momentum. Napoli now go three away matches without a win, with two draws and one defeat.
Conte defends the squad’s effort, stressing that small margins decide such games and that the players continue to commit fully. As long as the match was 1-0, it was balanced, and something could have happened to reach the equaliser, Conte added. After we conceded the second goal, spaces opened up for them, and they also scored the third.Congratulations to them, but also to my lads. There's little to reproach, even tonight they gave everything. Sometimes you get past the obstacle, other times you don't. Today, we managed it only in part. We are sailing in an open sea, but we're not getting off the boat. We want to fight with all our strength, knowing that we are living in an almost unbelievable situation.
Attention quickly turns from the Napoli vs Juventus defeat to a major Champions League fixture. Chelsea visit Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday, and with Napoli’s play-off hopes in danger, Conte underlines that a positive result is essential for keeping their European campaign alive.
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