Conte warning for Napoli: ‘Second is just first place for losers’
Conte warning for Napoli: ‘Second is just first place for losers’ Antonio Conte insists ‘second place is just first place for losers’ and he hasn’t lost hope of catching Inter, but explains why Napoli tactics against Lazio today are forced by one injury. It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 17. 00 UK time (18.
00 CEST). You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s three Serie A games on the Liveblog. The injury crisis continues, as although Amir Rrahmani returns to the bench, Napoli are still without Romelu Lukaku, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, David Neres and Antonio Vergara.
Sam Beukema is preferred to Juan Jesus, who made some costly errors last week against Parma, but also means not all three centre-backs are left-footed. Conte explains Napoli tactical choices CAGLIARI, ITALY – MARCH 20: Napoli’s coach Antonio Conte looks on during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant’Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images) “It is a technical decision, nothing in particular.
It is only right that players alternate during the season, as Amir Rrahmani and Giovanni Di Lorenzo are not ready yet, so it’s important to have options to choose from,” explained Conte on DAZN Italia. Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay are currently used in support of Rasmus Hojlund, with a 3-4-2-1 formation. “The system depends exclusively on the fact we don’t have a full-back available at the moment.
Without Di Lorenzo, it’s tough to think of a different system. Besides, this tactic allowed us to recover during an emergency situation, I don’t see why I should make radical changes right now. “Inevitably, Di Lorenzo’s injury is damaging, because he can play in a back three, as a full-back, or as a wing-back.