Antonio Conte says he wants Napoli to bounce back from defeat with the same reaction they would after victory ahead of their trip to Udinese.
A 1-0 defeat last Sunday against Lazio, who also knocked Napoli out of the Coppa Italia three days earlier, saw Conte's side lose their place at the top of Serie A, leaving them two points behind new leaders Atalanta.
Napoli have lost their last two matches and have not recorded three consecutive defeats in all competitions since November and December 2023 (defeat in the Champions League against Real Madrid and then in Serie A against Inter and Juventus).
However, Udinese's last win against Napoli in Serie A came back in April 2016, winning 3–1 at home; since then, the Partneopei have won thirteen and drawn three of their sixteen league games.
Conte was asked what those two defeats left behind at Lazio and how his team will move on after the two consecutive defeats.
“Zero points and elimination from the cup, they cannot do more than this,” Conte said at a press conference.
“We start again, always in the same way as when you win, by working, working, working. The mentality must continue to grow, the falls must help us strengthen this mentality.
“Tomorrow, after a crash, we will see what answer we will have.”
Gli azzurri sono carichi per la trasferta di Udine!
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Conte will be without winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with the Georgian set to spend some time on the sidelines after a knee sprain, but the manager gave little away on his formation.
“[On Saturday]”You'll see, I haven't decided yet who will take the field,” Conte said.
“You see the choices and what contribution everyone will make. We have another training session in the hotel in the morning.
“We are trying different formations. This week we have tried many and then we will see which one will be the best for this team.”
Udinese started the season well, with three wins in their first four games, putting them at the top of the table, but since then they have managed just three wins in eleven games and have dropped to ninth place.
They secured their first win in six games in their most recent match at Monza, and Conte will not be taking Udinese lightly despite remaining unbeaten in 11 Serie A games against them as manager (W9 D2).
“They started very strong, then they slowed down, but they won the last game,” Conte said.
“They are physically very strong. They have been making these choices for years. They go for very physical, fast and resistant players. They are a very good team.
“The coach is in his first year here, but he is doing well. We will need respect and we will have to be in the best condition.”
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