Conte was furious after Napoli's 1-0 victory over Lecce.
Conte calls Napoli's criticism baseless; Milinkovic-Savic saves a penalty before Anguissa heads in the winning goal at Lecce, who temporarily take the top spot in Serie A.
A spectacular save from Vanja Milinkovic-Savic not only kept Napoli at the Stadio Via del Mare but also unlocked the game, allowing Frank Andre Zambo Anguissa to head in the winning goal for a 1-0 victory over Lecce. But the drama didn't end there: Antonio Conte exploded, refuting claims that Napoli were benefiting from their rivals' injury crisis.
The decisive moment: penalty save, header to seal a 1-0 victory.
Napoli endured 90 minutes under immense pressure. The crisis began when Noa Lang suffered an injury, before Juan Jesus handled the ball in the penalty area, gifting Lecce a penalty. From the penalty spot, Francesco Camarda faced Milinkovic-Savic – and the goalkeeper guessed the right direction, saving the decisive shot.
That crucial save proved to be the turning point. From a tense match, Napoli regained their rhythm and capitalized on their advantage with a header from Anguissa – the only goal of the game, enough for the southern team to leave Via del Mare with three points.
Conte hits back at criticism, defends Napoli.
Conte's anger centered on the argument that Napoli benefited from their rivals' depleted squads. "People forget that we're also struggling. Now some people are even trying to claim that we're benefiting from Lukaku and De Bruyne's injuries. That's completely absurd," he stated bluntly.
Conte emphasized that his team was playing with a less-than-optimal squad, requiring a patchwork approach and demanding that every player be ready to shoulder the responsibility.
A message from the coaching bench
The Italian coach defended his decision to invest in Milinkovic-Savic – the hero of the penalty – as a calculated choice that had "proven its worth". He also sent a message to the dressing room: in this uncertain period, Napoli needs "courage, not composure", and scoring goals is the responsibility of the entire team, from defenders to forwards.
Personnel: Noa Lang is not too serious.
Besides the three points, there's also positive news regarding Noa Lang's situation. Conte stated that the player's injury is not too serious, providing Napoli with some reassurance amidst a packed schedule.
Controversy and a turning point in spirit.
The penalty awarded after Juan Jesus' handball could have changed the course of the game. But Milinkovic-Savic's save of Camarda's shot transformed the pressure into momentum, laying the foundation for Anguissa's decisive goal. From being in danger of dropping points, Napoli turned their worries into an advantage.
Consequences for the Serie A race
A hard-fought but valuable victory temporarily propelled Napoli to the top of the Serie A table, putting pressure on the chasing pack. With a depleted squad, the three points and the performance of their new goalkeeper provided a significant morale boost, reinforcing Conte's argument that Napoli didn't take shortcuts by relying on the opponent's injury problems.
