Conte Temper Napoli's Scudetto Expectations Despite Comfortable Win Over Sassuolo

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Antonio Conte has urged caution regarding Napoli's hopes of retaining the Serie A title, despite their successful start against Sassuolo. Goals from Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne secured a 2-0 victory at MAPEI Stadium. This win extended Napoli's unbeaten run to 13 matches, marking the longest current streak in Europe's top five leagues.

Conte acknowledged the challenge of repeating last season's success, especially with European commitments on the horizon. "It will be a very difficult and interesting campaign with seven or eight teams fighting for the Scudetto or Champions League qualification," he stated. The team is still working on finalising their squad structure, which requires patience.

The coach is focused on finding the right balance in midfield, having started McTominay, De Bruyne, Stanislav Lobotka, and Frank Anguissa against Sassuolo. McTominay scored his first goal of the season with a header in the 17th minute. He now shares the top spot for goals by a midfielder in Europe's top leagues this year with Bryan Mbeumo from Manchester United.

De Bruyne made history by becoming the oldest player to score on his Serie A debut for Napoli since 1994-95. At 34 years and 56 days old, his goal added him to an exclusive list of midfielders who scored on their debut for Napoli in Italy's top flight.

Conte praised McTominay and De Bruyne for their complementary playing styles. "Scott is a fighter who can ghost in from deep and become devastating," he said. The opening goal was a result of a rehearsed training scenario. De Bruyne prefers to control play rather than make runs into the box.

The manager continues to experiment with integrating new players into last season's midfield trio. "I am still trying to find the right formula to ensure the three midfielders from last season can co-exist harmoniously with Kevin," Conte explained. Despite limited time together, he noted some promising developments.

Conte remains optimistic about his team's potential but recognises that achieving harmony among players will take time. His focus is on ensuring all areas of play are effectively covered as they navigate both domestic and European competitions this season.