Napoli manager Antonio Conte hailed his side’s 2-1 comeback win over Juventus in Serie A on Saturday but stressed the importance of staying grounded despite his side keeping pace with their title-winning season of two years ago.
Conte’s side recovered from a goal down at home as Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa and Romelu Lukaku sealed the victory against a Juve side that were unbeaten in the league.
Napoli now have 53 points, the same total that Luciano Spalletti’s side had at this stage on their way to winning the Scudetto in 2023, and sit atop Serie A, six points ahead of Inter Milan, who have two games in hand.
“We must never extinguish the enthusiasm because it’s our lifeblood. However, we must stay grounded because what we’ve done so far is extraordinary,” Conte told reporters.
“We have already matched last year’s points, and this is without (Victor) Osimhen, Kvara (Khvicha Kvaratskhelia), and Piotr (Zielinski),” he added, referring to three key players who have left the club this season, albeit with Osimhen on loan.
“It’s nice to see that, despite the difficulties with the (transfer) market and injuries, nothing changes.
“We need to stay humble and keep working. Today, though, we beat a great team that had left us far behind last year.”
Juve finished third last season on 71 points while Napoli languished in 10th with 53.
Conte added that his side performed well above expectations against Juventus.
“The intensity today was like a European match, with very high rhythms and full-field pressure,” he said.
“We took some risks and yet some still say we play with a low defensive line and on the counter-attack. Sometimes it feels like I’m dreaming.”
Despite the good run Napoli are on, Conte is still holding his cards close to his chest regarding the transfer window.
“It’s not just about bringing someone in … Everyone is good at saying who is missing and I could easily say what we need too,” he added.
“But my role as head of the group forces me to focus on the players I already have and to make a difference with them.
“Let’s see what happens but I remain calm because I know I have a group of players ready to fight with me.”
