'Lukaku still needs to get into the kind of shape that I require' - Conte after Napoli's draw at Juventus

'Lukaku still needs to get into the kind of shape that I require' - Conte after Napoli's draw at Juventus

Hassan Abdulsalam 23:01 - 21.09.2024

Serie A side Napoli faced a tough challenge against Juventus, with the game at the Allianz Stadium ending in a goalless draw.

Napoli manager Antonio Conte expressed moderate satisfaction with his team's goalless draw against Juventus on Saturday, despite their failure to capitalize on several scoring opportunities.

Conte acknowledged the difficulty of playing at Juventus' Allianz Stadium, a venue he transformed into a fortress during his previous tenure at the club.

He praised his team's defensive efforts but emphasized the need for improved ball execution in the attacking half.

Napoli manager Antonio Conte says Victor Osimhen won't be back in the squad.

Striker Romelu Lukaku, who has been in good form since joining Napoli, struggled to make an impact against Juve and was substituted late in the match.

Conte indicated that Lukaku still needs to reach the level of fitness he requires.

"I realise the difficulty of getting a draw away to Juventus, a team that was 18 points away from Napoli last season.

"We worked on this system, I am moderately satisfied with the defence, but we could’ve done far better in attack and I think we had the clearest scoring opportunities.

Antonio Conte has taken charge of Napoli, stating nobody else would be allowed in.| Photo Credit: Getty Images

"I think we did it well with the midfielders. Romelu still needs to get into the kind of shape that I require.

"I had asked for consistency and it was a good performance in terms of focus, but we can and must do better when we have the ball, as there were some favourable situations," Conte told DAZN.

The team will face Monza in their next Serie A match and Palermo in the Coppa Italia.

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