Napoli in “HD”: Hojlund and Neres reshape Conte’s title hopes | OneFootball

On the Castel Volturno calendar, there's a date circled in red that will likely mark the turning point of the blue season: November 22, 2025. That evening, in the match against Atalanta, Antonio Conte's Napoli not only changed their formation but also inaugurated a new offensive identity. The "HD" was born, the high-definition connection between Rasmus Højlund and David Neres. Far from the rigid hierarchies of positional attack, what has developed between the Danish forward and the Brazilian winger transcends mere technical understanding: it's a lethal relay of altruism and power, a decisive factor that has already brought the Italian Super Cup and a memorable end to 2025.

The Højlund-Neres connection supports all of Napoli: as long as it works, it's dominance

The first thing that emerges from the analysis of the last month is the surprising tactical evolution of Højlund. In the crucial matches for the season's turning point – against Atalanta, Roma, and in the Super Cup semifinal against Milan – the former Atalanta player shed the role of pure finisher to become an additional playmaker. The numbers certify the change: three total assists, all delivered to Neres' feet. The tactical script now seems consolidated: Højlund protects the ball using his physique and opens up spaces, Neres moves in and strikes. A formula that has seen the Brazilian score three times from three of his teammate's creations, with significant goals both at the Olimpico against the Giallorossi and in Arabia against the Devil.

The essence of this partnership, however, goes beyond simple arithmetic: it's pure reciprocity. The "debt" contracted by Højlund in previous weeks was settled in the most prestigious theater, during the big match at the Maradona against Juventus. There, the roles were reversed: Neres became the inspirer, igniting the fury of number 19 for a brace that floored the Bianconeri. Yesterday's away game at the Zini offered yet another different nuance, a sign of tactical maturity now acquired. With Neres centralized and free to roam across the entire offensive front, the Brazilian accepted a role of "hidden playmaker." Although the score sheet remained blank — zero goals and zero assists — his contribution was indispensable: while the former Benfica player linked the departments with precious unseen work, Højlund was able to capitalize on the play, taking the spotlight with the two decisive goals for the victory.

However, the analysis cannot be considered complete without highlighting the only, concerning flaw in the system. The perfect mechanism showed its fragility on December 14 at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine. The only occasion when the "HD connection" failed simultaneously resulted in a disastrous domino effect: with both forwards dry, the team found no alternative solutions, collapsing 1-0. This is the dark side of the coin that worries the staff looking ahead to the immediate future. January will be a hellish month, with Lazio, Inter, Juventus, and Chelsea in Europe on the calendar. Conte knows it well: to survive this tour de force, the "odd couple" cannot afford to disconnect together. Udine must remain an isolated incident, not become a precedent.

Andrea Alati

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.