Napoli Regain Momentum In Serie A Title Race Following Win Against AC Milan

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Antonio Conte expressed confidence in his team's renewed momentum in the Serie A title race after their 2-1 victory over AC Milan. This win, coupled with Inter's earlier 2-1 triumph over Udinese, brought Napoli within three points of the league leaders. Atalanta's 1-0 loss to Fiorentina further solidified Napoli's position. "It's an important result that allows us to stay in Inter's slipstream and distance ourselves from fifth place," Conte told DAZN.

Napoli took a commanding lead with goals from Matteo Politano and Romelu Lukaku, while Luka Jovic scored for Milan in the 84th minute. Despite this, Napoli held firm. In the first half, they dominated with five attempts, three on target, while Milan failed to test Alex Meret. However, Milan pushed hard in the second half, forcing Conte to adjust tactics as they had 12 shots worth 2.19 expected goals.

Milan missed a penalty in the second half but managed four shots on target. Meanwhile, Napoli couldn't register any shots on target during this period. Conte acknowledged Milan's strength: "We dominated the first half, but let's not forget that AC Milan are a very good team ... and that they strengthened in January."

Scott McTominay was absent due to flu symptoms, and Leonardo Spinazzola was out with an injury. David Neres made a return to the starting line-up after a long absence. "We lost McTominay at the last minute, so I had to take the risk," Conte explained. He also mentioned having to play Frank Anguissa despite his recent injury from international duty.

Conte noted that prior to Sunday’s match, Napoli had only secured one win in their last seven league games. This victory injected optimism into their title chase. Despite this newfound positivity, Conte urged his team to focus on each game as it comes: "We have to be aware that we are doing something extraordinary and miraculous," he said.

Title Race Outlook

The Opta supercomputer gives Conte’s side a 16% chance of winning the Scudetto, while Inter remains favourites with an 83.7% probability. "The Champions League places weren't even our initial goal," Conte remarked about their unexpected rise in standings. He emphasised taking things step by step: "There are eight games left, and then we will think about the future."

Conte admitted frustration during challenging moments: "This is one of those days when I hate being a coach." Yet he remains focused on maintaining momentum through consistent performance as they approach season-end.