Ice and samba: Conte’s Super Cup plan with Hojlund and Neres | OneFootball

There’s a special chemistry, as highlighted by Corriere dello Sport, that is maturing even more in the shadow of the Saudi dunes—a connection that unites two seemingly opposite football worlds. On one side, the kinetic power of Northern Europe; on the other, the technical unpredictability of South America. Rasmus Hojlund and David Neres: Antonio Conte has found the key to the season by combining these two elements into an explosive mix.

Napoli, destiny passes through the “Hoj-Ne”: the numbers behind the duo responsible for 60% of recent goals

The statistics don’t lie and tell the story of a virtuous dependency. In the last eight matches across league and cups, Napoli has found the net 11 times: impressively, 7 of these goals have come directly from the Hojlund-Neres partnership, either by scoring or assisting. If we widen the scope to the entire season, their impact is even more evident: 9 goal involvements for the former United player (7 goals and 2 assists), 8 for the former Benfica man (evenly split between goals and assists). They are the unmoving engine of Conte’s attack. The semifinal victory against the Rossoneri was the manifesto of this supremacy. The first goal was born from a burst of speed by Hojlund, finished off by Neres with the help of Maignan; the second was a pure show of power from the center forward. They dominated the scene, proving that even when the team suffers, they know how to turn on the light.

On Monday night, at Al-Awwal Park, there will be no room for rotation. Against Bologna, in the match that’s worth the first trophy of the season, Conte will rely on his certainties. They have started together seven times in the last eight close fixtures, resting only partially against Cagliari, and they’ll do it again. Moreover, both are no strangers to finals: for Neres, it will be the fourth time in his career playing for a title in the final act after his experiences with Ajax; for Hojlund, the third, following bittersweet moments in Manchester. Conte is counting on their hunger to bring the Supercoppa back to Napoli.

Andrea Alati

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