Napoli keeper dilemma: Conte to choose Meret or Milinkovic-Savic | OneFootball

The Italian technician manages the dualism between the posts with targeted rotations. A challenge that recalls the past, but that could become a winning weapon for the future.

Napoli, goalkeeper ballot: Conte ready to choose between Meret and Milinkovic-Savic

Antonio Conte's Napoli is experiencing a start to the season characterized by an unusual and fascinating dualism: that between Alex Meret and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. Two high-level goalkeepers, two profiles with different characteristics and a single goal to defend.

A theme that not only concerns the formation choices, but that risks becoming a real leitmotif of the season. The question remains the same, week after week: who will be the starter?

Conte and the management of dualism

Antonio Conte, questioned several times on the issue, reiterated: "There are two excellent goalkeepers, there will be room for both. And anyway, they already know who will play tomorrow", the words of the technician.

A statement that reflects the philosophy of the coach: internal competition as a stimulus, alternation as a tactical tool. Not a problem, therefore, but a resource.

The choices so far

After four official matches, the balance is perfectly equal: two appearances for Meret, two for Milinkovic-Savic. The alternation ignited last week:

In Florence, against Fiorentina, Meret's muscle injury handed the debut to the Serbian.

In Manchester, in the Champions League, Conte confirmed Milinkovic-Savic for technical choice, considering him more suitable for building from the back against City.

The result? A convincing performance from the former Torino, able to make himself noticed not only with his feet but also with decisive saves on Rodri, Reijnders and Gvardiol.

A rare competition in Serie A

Conte's management breaks an Italian custom: the goalkeeper, traditionally, is one of the roles least affected by turnover. In this case, however, Napoli bets on the rotation between two real number ones.

The strategy is not random: the club has invested 21.5 million euros in Milinkovic-Savic to have an absolute level alternative to Meret, already coming from two championships as a starter.

The precedent of Meret

The Friulian goalkeeper is not new to such situations. Between 2018 and 2021, with Ancelotti, Gattuso and Spalletti, he had lived the coexistence with David Ospina, often alternating between the championship and cups. A challenge that had tempered him, until he became an undisputed starter in the last two seasons.

The next challenges

The calendar does not give respite: Monday at Maradona against Pisa, then the trip to San Siro with Milan and the home debut in the Champions League against Sporting Lisbon. Three matches that will force Conte to make new choices between the posts.

The feeling is that the technician will continue to evaluate game by game, exploiting the different qualities of the two goalkeepers: the reliability between the posts of Meret and the construction ability of Milinkovic-Savic.

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