“I don’t know if it’s a first-place Napoli in the standings, but we’re first and that’s a fact. If they had told me three months ago it would have been difficult to believe it.” Signed Antonio Conte. Rightly so, because three months ago Napoli were a completely different team. Only Buongiorno, Rafa Marin and Olivera had arrived. It still hadn’t been the turn of Scott McTominay, David Neres and above all Romelu Lukakuthe three scorers of the evening at Maradona against Como: 3-1 at the end, three points that allow us to reach the top. First place in the standings – at least for the next two weeks, given the break – was given to the Salento coach by the transfer market.
Yet Napoli certainly didn’t have an easy life against Como. Cesc Fabregas’ team plays well, has great personality, interesting youngsters to say the least, the right character to try to impose their football even at the home of the league leaders. For an hour the game was on equal terms, at times the Como team even took the lead, but in the long run the blue team prevailed. “Hunger and the desire to win made the difference,” says Lukaku post-match. And he’s right, because Napoli already has the mentality of their manager, as well as a bench of the highest level.
“With the boys we said to ourselves that we could go into the break maintaining a position in the standings that no one could imagine at the beginning. A few games have passed, but we have scored 16 points which will be useful for our objectives”, declares Conte. Who thanks his boys, his team, which little by little resembles him more and more.