Conte calls for calm with Napoli´s title dreams going to the wire

Antonio Conte urged his Napoli players to support immoderate position aft Sunday’s 2-2 gully with Genoa, insisting his broadside are inactive successful the hunt for the Serie A title.

Napoli held a three-point vantage implicit Inter going into the weekend, but aft the Nerazzurri bushed Torino 2-0 earlier connected Sunday, the rubric contention is present wide open, with Conte’s side’s vantage present down to a azygous point.

Twice Napoli led, with Romelu Lukaku and Giacomo Raspadori some scoring connected either broadside of Alex Meret’s ain goal, but Johan Vasquez’s 84th-minute extremity ensured Genoa near with a point.

It was the archetypal clip the Partenopei person drawn astatine location since March 2024, erstwhile they were held astatine location by Udinese, portion it is the archetypal clip they person conceded astatine slightest 2 goals astatine location since November – a 3-0 decision to Atalanta.

With lone 2 games near to play, and the rubric wrong touching distance, Conte inactive believes Napoli person overachieved this season.

“The past rounds correspond a people that astatine the commencement was perfectly unthinkable. To execute that would beryllium incredible,” Conte told DAZN. “These fans merit it, arsenic the radical of Naples ever followed america with passionateness and enthusiasm.

“We are inactive going beyond our capabilities, truthful tin lone convey these players for everything. The bitterness contiguous is due to the fact that it was not a deserved draw, but I ever archer them that details marque the difference, and we could’ve done thing amended successful those details today.

“We did not merit to driblet these 2 points, but astatine the aforesaid time, we indispensable retrieve we’ve mislaid the bonus that we had.

“We needed 7 points from 3 rounds to triumph the title, present we request six points from 2 if we privation to triumph the Scudetto, which would inactive beryllium thing incredible.”

Napoli had 22 shots against Genoa, with 11 of those hitting the target, though they lone created 1.7 expected goals (xG) throughout.

At the different end, they allowed conscionable 8 shots worthy 0.7 xG, with Genoa having conscionable 2 efforts connected target. They besides doubly deed the station done Andrea Pinamonti and Honest Ahanor, whose header against the station led to Meret’s unfortunate ain goal.

Conte was visibly irritated by the chances Napoli wasted passim the match.

“Genoa had 2 shots connected extremity and scored both. These things hap excessively successful football, erstwhile you concede a goal, you could’ve ever done thing better,” helium said.

“I could not person asked for much from my players, arsenic they had 22 shots connected goal, 11 of them connected target, dominated possession, and successful the extremity it was a draw. We indispensable amended successful these situations.

“It’s disappointing due to the fact that we deserved to triumph for each that we created, truthful determination remains bitterness and regret.”