Conte 'not disappointed' with Napoli display
Antonio Conte says he was "not disappointed" by Napoli's display and commitment after it lost to Lazio for the second time in a week.
The 3-1 away defeat to Lazio knocked Napoli out of the Coppa Italia, with the home league game giving it a chance for revenge along with the opportunity to reclaim top spot from Atalanta, which beat Milan on Saturday.
However, Marco Baroni's side was victorious again, with Gustav Isaksen's goal the difference between the teams in a 1-0 win.
It is the first time in Lazio's history that it has won three consecutive away games against Napoli, while the Partenopei have lost two of their last three home games in Serie A, as many defeats as they suffered in their previous 17.
"Today's match also tells us that the path we are taking is the right one. Our idea is to attack the opponent, to not let them control the game and create situations to hurt," Conte said.
"There is room for improvement from this point of view. We get there, but the last step is missing.
"We are working on it. I am not disappointed with the performance, the boys gave everything, playing a good match against an excellent team."
Lazio is now just one point behind Napoli, sitting in fifth, in what is turning out to be an excitingly close title race, and after its two wins over his side, Conte is not surprised with its position in the standings.
"Lazio are not a meteorite, they are doing very well," he said. "I'm not disappointed or unhappy, during this journey there are some stumbles, there will probably be others.
"This is the team I want to see, but we need to have more quality in the final metres."
Lazio manager Baroni knows what it takes to win a Scudetto. He scored the only goal for Napoli, against Lazio, on the final day of the season in 1990 to guarantee his side the league title, but he is not getting carried away with his team's success.
"It's hard to make the climb, and it takes a moment to drop back down again," Baroni said. "I know the league very well, the teams that are at the top, and we have to face them with this attitude. And then in the end we will see."
