But Conte never fades. The coach from Salento has been at the center of heated discussions in recent weeks. There has been much debate about him, his relationship with club owner De Laurentiis, with the fans, with the team, his tactical ideas, and many other issues, there were even rumors for days about a possible early departure.
Instead, Conte has come back stronger than ever and his Napoli side is climbing the table match after match, adjusting its approach, finding new tactical solutions and always delivering the right move against the strongest opponents in the most delicate moments.
Rediscovering Conte intensity
It happened again last Sunday against Roma. It was a clash at the top of the table, with McTominay and his teammates challenging the league leaders at home. The Giallorossi were considered favorites because of their recent form, among other reasons. Both coaches had to deal with significant absences, especially the former Juventus and Inter manager, but it was Conte who won the battle with Gian Piero Gasperini, who had been sent off in Roma’s previous match and was forced to watch from the stands rather than the bench, where he could certainly have had a greater impact.
Roma started the match with Ferguson in attack, replaced after a disappointing first half by Baldanzi, and not with Dybala, who appeared far from fit, a distant version of the star who had dazzled football fans in recent seasons. Napoli, on the other hand, fielded a very costly attacking trio of Noa Lang, Rasmus Hojlund, and David Neres, the result of a fresh idea from Conte, who is adapting to the constant changes in the squad caused by numerous injuries to key players, especially in midfield.
Everyone expected Roma to be aggressive and bold, but the opposite happened. Scott McTominay and his teammates began with great intensity and the Giallorossi often found themselves in tactical difficulty, even if they conceded few scoring chances. Napoli waited patiently for the right moment to strike and the opportunity came after a foul on Manu Kone that went unpunished and a double misread by Bryan Cristante and Evan Ndicka, who essentially cleared the way for the counterattack. Hojlund and Neres took advantage and Neres did not miss when one on one with Mile Svilar.
Another top of the table clash
Aside from that, the only noteworthy moments were a venomous cross from Lang, well saved by Svilar, and an attacking run from Lorenzo Pellegrini, who broke away down the left flank but found Ferguson too hesitant in the box, lost among the Napoli defenders. The second half told a different story. Gasperini tried to raise Roma’s tempo by replacing Evan Ferguson with Tommaso Baldanzi and later bringing on Paulo Dybala in place of a lacklustre Matias Soulé, but nothing went his way.
Roma created only two real chances: a right footed effort from outside the box by Pellegrini and a late right footed attempt by Baldanzi, who certainly would have done better with his left. Both were well saved by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. Other than that, Roma created very little and Napoli controlled the rhythm of the match with authority.
These three points are crucial for Conte, both for the team’s morale and for his own credibility, which now seems fully restored. With Sunday’s victory, Napoli has taken an important step forward and currently sits in first place, level with Max Allegri’s Milan, another coach who continues to get the best out of his teams. On Sunday night, Conte’s Napoli will face Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus, a side still searching for consistency in results and identity.
It is a golden opportunity for Conte to confirm his team’s position at the top and, above all, to give a boost to the Juventus he has always been deeply attached to. One thing is certain: it will not be easy for the Bianconeri to challenge Napoli. Spalletti is a great coach and Yildiz and his teammates are excellent players, but Conte always seems to know what is what and beating him is difficult for anyone, especially now that he has regained his composure and found a tactical setup that allows him to maximize the talent at his disposal. The team is strong and he is finally making full use of it.