Conte looking for reaction from Napoli at Udinese
Antonio Conte says he wants Napoli to bounce back from defeat with the same reaction as it would from a win ahead of its trip to Udinese this weekend.
A 1-0 defeat last Monday (AEDT) to Lazio, which had also knocked Napoli out of the Coppa Italia three days earlier, saw Conte's side lose its place at the top of Serie A, leaving it two points behind new leader Atalanta.
Napoli has lost its past two games and has not recorded three defeats in a row in all competitions since November and December 2023 – a defeat in the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid and then in Serie A against Inter Milan and Juventus.
However, Udinese's previous win against Napoli in Serie A came back in April 2016, winning 3-1 at home; since then, the Partneopei have won 13 and drawn three of their 16 league meetings against Napoli.
Conte was asked what those two Lazio losses have left behind and how his side will move on from the two successive defeats.
"Zero points and elimination from the Cup, more than this they cannot leave," Conte said.
"We start again, always in the same way as when you win, by working, working, working. The mentality must continue to grow, the falls must help us reinforce this mentality.
"Tomorrow we will see, after a crash, what answer we will have."
Conte will be without winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with the Georgian facing some time on the sidelines after suffering a knee sprain, but the manager was giving little away about his formation.
"[On Saturday], you'll see, I haven't decided who will take to the pitch yet," Conte said.
"You will see the choices and what kind of contribution everyone will make. We still have a training session in the morning at the hotel.
"We are trying different formations, this week we have tried many and then we will see which one will be the best for this team."
Udinese began the season brightly, with three wins in its opening four games putting it top of the standings, but it has since collected just three wins in 11 and have slipped down to ninth place.
It did get its first win in six in its most recent game at Monza, and Conte will not be taking Udinese lightly, despite going unbeaten in 11 Serie A games as a manager against it.
"They started very strong, then they slowed down, but they won the last game," Conte said.
"They are very strong physically, for years they have made these choices, they go for very physical, fast, resistant players, they are a very good team.
"The coach is in his first year here but he is doing well, we will need respect and we will have to be in the best of our condition."
