MILAN (AP) – Coach Antonio Conte is training his players to be “tiger tamers” ahead of Napoli’s Serie A match against former club Inter Milan on Saturday.
Napoli will face Inter at the worst possible time for the defending champions, who are reeling from Tuesday’s game. Lost to PSV Eindhoven 6-2 This is the first time in the Champions League that Conte’s side have conceded six goals in a single game.
Conte seemed uncharacteristically calm on the sideline during the game, not his usual loud and abrasive personality.
“I always try to help the players,” Conte said. “It’s true that it was my fault for not being proactive on the bench, and we lost 6-2.Next time, I’ll bring the whip and stool like a tiger tamer.”
It was Napoli’s second straight loss. We lost against Torino last weekend. Serie A has struggled to deal with an injury crisis and bring in new players.
“We added nine players in the summer and it hurt us in terms of chemistry,” Conte said. “The old players, myself included, have to rediscover their spirit, and the new players have to adapt to their surroundings, learn to be humble and quiet.”
Napoli welcomed the return Scott McTominay In the match against PSV Rasmus Hoylund He could make a comeback from injury against Inter. However, Romelu Lukaku, Stanislav Lobotka and Amir Rahmani are still absent.
Napoli, Inter and Roma are tied on 15 points, one behind league leaders AC Milan.
The Rossoneri host promoted side Pisa on Friday and could open up a four-goal lead by the time the match begins in Napoli. Roma visit Sassuolo on Sunday.
major matches
Inter and Napoli have shared the title for the past three years, with Inter splitting Napoli’s two wins in 2024. Conte also led Inter to victory in 2021.
Inter are on a seven-game winning streak in all competitions. Last weekend they defeated another title rival in Rome, and on Tuesday they defeated Union Saint Giroise 4-0.
Under pressure, Juventus manager Igor Tudor will return to his old club in time for the Bianconeri’s visit to Lazio. He will step down as Lazio manager in 2024 after a three-month term.
Juventus are four points behind Milan, but have not won since September 13th.
Milan are favorites to beat bottom club Pisa, but their only defeat of the season came in the opening game against fellow promoted club Cremonese.
Atalanta are the only unbeaten team in Serie A. However, they are only in 8th place with 5 draws out of 7 games, the most in this division. Head to Cremonese, where there was a stalemate four times.
Featured players
Bologna winger Riccardo Orsolini leads the Serie A scoring list with five goals. The 28-year-old has scored in each of his last four league games and will be aiming to continue that streak at struggling Fiorentina.
Inter goalkeeper Jan Sommer has proven to be almost unstoppable this season. The 36-year-old made a number of fine saves to help his team win 1-0 against Roma, and Inter have conceded just one goal in their last five games in all competitions.
Activity suspended
Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano is almost certain to miss the trip to his former club Fiorentina as he has been hospitalized with pneumonia.
Milan have as big an injury list as Napoli. similarly Christian Pulisicthe Rossoneri will also be without Adrien Rabiot, Aldon Jashari and Pervis Estupinyan, while Christopher Nkunku and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have also not fully recovered.
Como forward Jesús Rodríguez and Parma defender Abdoulaye Niahate Ndiayi are the only two players to be suspended this weekend. Parma host Como on Saturday.
off the field
and Spanish league matches canceled in MiamiPressure is mounting on Serie A to cancel plans for AC Milan to play Como in Australia in February.
“Serie A must do the right thing in the face of growing isolation and withdraw the proposal,” fan group Football Supporters Europe said in a statement on Wednesday. “If not, we urge the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which has to decide on this proposal, to respect the voices of the fans.”
Pisa and Hellas Verona fans have been banned from attending away matches for three months following last weekend’s clashes. The suspension will start from Friday’s match against Pisa in Milan.
Construction is underway on a new stadium on the outskirts of Venice, where Serie B club Venezia hopes to play from 2027-28.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
