Napoli v Girona, Conte demands a reaction: “We need focus and character” | OneFootball

Antonio Conte wants a reaction. Napoli, coming off a fluctuating preseason, faces Girona today at 7 PM at the Teofilo Patini stadium, already sold out with 7,200 spectators.

Napoli-Girona, Conte demands a response: “We need focus and character”

An event that is becoming a summer tradition: since 2022, the two teams have faced each other three times, and this will be the fourth match in Abruzzo.

The Azzurri coach is not only looking at the result but especially at the attitude and concentration. The first four preseason friendlies have highlighted limitations both in scoring and defense: a loss and a draw with Arezzo and Casertana (Serie C), a defeat against Brest, and a win over Catanzaro (Serie B). The provisional tally is 4 goals scored and 6 conceded.

Attack to refine, defense to adjust So far, Lucca (2 goals), Politano, and Raspadori—who is now close to Atletico Madrid—have scored, while Lukaku, Lang, and Neres have yet to find the net. Napoli is working to increase offensive effectiveness, but what has struck Conte the most are the defensive lapses, especially in the first half against Brest: individual and team errors that the coach insists on eliminating.

Positive signals Despite the emerging limitations, the team showed character in the second half against the French, coming back to 2-1 thanks to Lucca (assisted by Politano) and the leadership of Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian, used in an advanced position near the striker, has been one of the protagonists of this preparation phase.

Conte’s tactical trials During the week, Conte experimented with different solutions: from a formation with De Bruyne closer to the forward, to a 4-3-3 seen yesterday in the open training session, with Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Beukema, and Olivera in defense; Frank Anguissa, Lobotka, and De Bruyne in midfield; Politano, Lukaku, and Neres in attack, with the latter moved to the left.

Towards the championship Today's lineup could provide useful insights ahead of the Serie A debut on August 23 against Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium. However, there will be another general rehearsal on August 14 against Olympiakos.

The Napoli-Girona match will be broadcast live on Pay-Per-View for 9.99 euros on DAZN, Sky Primafila, and OneFootball.

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