Conte urges Napoli to enjoy race as Inter looms
Antonio Conte has urged his Napoli players to enjoy the Serie A title race ahead of their top-of-the-table clash with leader Inter Milan this weekend.
Napoli is second in the standings – just a point behind Simone Inzaghi's side – in its quest to take the Scudetto that it won in the 2022-2023 campaign.
But Conte's team has struggled of late, failing to win its past four league matches, with the Italian head coach out to ensure a return to winning ways.
Indeed, a team managed by Conte in Serie A has never gone five games without a victory. After a shock defeat to Como last time out, Napoli could also lose two games in a row for the first time since December 2023.
After its recent decline, questions have been asked about Napoli's title credentials, but Conte reaffirmed his belief that his players have what it takes to win the Scudetto.
"Beyond the standings, I would have expected a Napoli that, after seven months, would start taking shape," Conte, who took charge at the start of the season, said.
"Finding ourselves in this position should fill us with pride, but it shouldn’t put pressure on us.
"As I told the guys, sometimes pressure can be positive, other times negative. That's why I keep telling the players to enjoy this moment. We earned this position in the standings through our hard work.
"In general, the match is influential on the standings because there are three points available and there are many teams close by."
Napoli has won only one of its past 11 matches against Inter in Serie A, losing six of them. In that period, since the beginning of 2020, against no other team has it achieved fewer wins and lost so often.
But this weekend's clash at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona promises to be an entertaining affair given both teams' records in Serie A this campaign.
Napoli and Inter have scored the most goals from high turnovers in Serie A this term, both with six, but Conte will be without midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.
Asked whether Billy Gilmour or Philip Billing would replace Anguissa, Conte said: "Good question, I've been carrying it with me all week.
"I still have 24 hours to decide, but it's a technical question that I appreciate because it's very specific. Both options could be right.
"We will try to make the best choice by evaluating the players and always looking for a solution to injuries, which are part of the journey.
"Some players recover more easily, while others struggle more. But we must find a solution. We worked on it, and you will see it tomorrow."
Conte also confirmed that left-backs Mathias Olivera and Leonardo Spinazzola were both fit to face Inter.
"We've recovered them. Spinazzola played the entire match against Como, and we managed his workload during the week," the Italian added.
"Mathias had a more serious issue. It was a recurring calf injury. He's working to be in top shape, and both of them are available.
"We'll see which choice is the most appropriate."
