Napoli's championship protection showing signs of strain before facing Inter rivals
Signs of weakness in Napoli's Serie A championship efforts are emerging as the title holders gear up to face in-form Inter Milan at home on Saturday, following a heavy loss against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
The 6-2 thrashing on Tuesday in the Netherlands was entirely justified for Napoli, and it followed their unexpected defeat at Torino last weekend that saw AC Milan seize the top position in Italy's premier division.
Napoli and Inter are tied on 15 points with Roma, as that group sits one point adrift of Milan, who begin the weekend's fixtures by hosting struggling Pisa on Friday evening.
Antonio Conte was highly critical of his team's performance on Tuesday, with the fiery manager stating that fans "should not be mocked" during an extended outburst to journalists who observed the embarrassment at the Philips Stadion.
"I have been emphasising for a while that we must swallow some pride, certain individuals are attempting to deceive Napoli fans, yet this is a supporter base that demands honesty," Conte remarked.
"To construct something that fills Naples with pride, we must regain the unity from last season, where individual ambitions were absent, self-interest was nonexistent, and there was a single focus, which was Napoli."
Conte has faced challenges from multiple injuries early in the campaign, such as a significant thigh injury to Romelu Lukaku, whose stand-in Rasmus Hojlund was also sidelined in the games against Torino and Eindhoven.
Hojlund is set to return for the Inter matchup, providing a lift for Conte considering the Danish forward's strong showings since joining from Manchester United on the final day of transfers.
However, more pressing issues persist, as last year's standout player Scott McTominay battles to regain his peak condition after Kevin De Bruyne's arrival, a move that introduced elite skill but created challenges in midfield setup.
McTominay, who netted both of Napoli's goals on Tuesday, has been shifted to the left in a four-man midfield, restricting the Scottish player's opportunities to surge forward and finish plays as he frequently did in the previous campaign.
While Napoli suffered a dismantling, Inter cruised to their seventh consecutive victory across all tournaments, a 4-0 rout of Union Saint-Gilloise underscoring the abundance of quality available to manager Cristian Chivu.
Inter's pace has not been hindered by France international Marcus Thuram's absence since early October, with fellow Frenchman Ange-Yoan Bonny and emerging Italian talent Pio Esposito offering the reliable forward options that were lacking during Inter's unsuccessful championship bid last season.
"They needed to move past the setback from last year. At times, that hurt can affect the mindset, but the players have excelled," Chivu commented on Tuesday.
The spotlight intensifies on Juventus manager Igor Tudor before Sunday night's encounter with Lazio, after a 1-0 setback at Real Madrid left the Turin club winless in their last seven outings.
Player to watch: Riccardo Orsolini
Bologna keep exceeding expectations under Vincenzo Italiano, and much of that success stems from Orsolini, who has enjoyed an explosive beginning to the season.
Orsolini has netted six goals across all competitions already this year and will serve as the primary offensive danger for Italiano when they face his former underperforming side Fiorentina on Sunday night.
Bologna trail Milan by three points in fifth place, and the gap between Italiano's squad and Fiorentina could not be wider, with the Tuscan outfit mired in the drop zone and without a league victory in seven games.
Key stats
3 - Inter, Napoli and Roma all sit one point behind Milan
7 - Inter's run of wins in all tournaments
Fixtures (times GMT)
Friday
AC Milan v Pisa (1845)
Saturday
Parma v Como, Udinese v Lecce (1300), Napoli v Inter Milan (1600), Cremonese v Atalanta (1845)
Sunday
Torino v Genoa (1130), Verona v Cagliari, Sassuolo v Roma (1400), Fiorentina v Bologna (1700), Lazio v Juventus (1945)