Napoli shine despite absences: Conte reignites title hopes | OneFootball

Raise your hand if, at the start of the season, you would have imagined a Napoli capable of delivering this performance despite a long and heavy injury crisis, comments Eurosport.

Napoli, great beyond the absences: Conte reinvents the team and relaunches the Scudetto repeat

Lukaku, Anguissa, De Bruyne, Gilmour, Meret: a list that, for many teams, would have meant downsizing and excuses. For Antonio Conte, however, it was an opportunity to once again demonstrate his ability to turn difficulties into opportunities.

1) From emergency to strength: Napoli finds a new identity

Conte worked tirelessly, changing the team's skin almost week after week. Revised formations, redesigned hierarchies, adapted roles. In the end, the choice fell on an unprecedented 3-4-2-1, which on paper might have seemed like a compromise solution but turned out to be surprisingly effective.

The players are the real key to success: Juan Jesus as the central figure of a solid defense, Elmas reinvented, McTominay paired with Lobotka in a midfield of balance and intensity. A different Napoli, but consistent, capable of winning the Italian Super Cup and bouncing back decisively after setbacks against Benfica and Udinese.

Conte continues to repeat that “Napoli is not ready to dominate.” Yet, what was seen at the Olimpico against Lazio tells a different story: a victory of pure authority, built with game control, mental solidity, and physical brilliance. If that's not dominance, at least for long stretches, it's close.

2) Politano relaunched: the benches as fuel

Matteo Politano never really stopped being useful, but some initial exclusions had an evident effect. His return to the starting eleven was accompanied by greater intensity, hunger, and clarity. Even in a role that is anything but simple: a full-wing position.

Conte intelligently managed a potentially complicated coexistence with David Neres, keeping the Brazilian on the right-center and restoring centrality and responsibility to Politano. The result is a rediscovered winger, decisive even in numbers: from his crosses come the goals of Spinazzola and Rrahmani. A fact that is anything but trivial, considering that Politano hadn't provided two assists in the same match since the first day against Sassuolo.

3) A Napoli that does not depend on individuals

The Italian Super Cup came thanks to the goals of Rasmus Hojlund and David Neres: three goals for the Brazilian in two matches, one for the Dane. At the resumption of the championship, it was again Hojlund who scored the decisive double in Cremona. But the real leap in quality for Conte's Napoli is another: the absence of dependencies.

It does not depend on McTominay's incursions, now employed in a more cautious version. And it does not even depend on the goals or assists of its main attackers. Against Lazio, Hojlund and Neres worked for the team, leaving the spotlight to Spinazzola, Rrahmani, and Politano. Different performances, same result.

This is the strength of a group that looks high: having concrete answers from every department, at any moment. A team that knows what it wants and how to achieve it.

A dream taking shape

Today's Napoli is solid, flexible, and aware. It has overcome injuries, criticism, and difficult moments without losing direction. Conte preaches caution, but the facts tell of a team that has regained identity and ambition. The Scudetto repeat is no longer a distant illusion: it is a real goal, fueled by performances, results, and a conviction that grows match after match.

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