After his team suffered a 2-3 away defeat to Inter Milan in Serie A Matchday 3, Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri gave an interview to DAZN.

Let's talk directly about this match. I'd like to ask you, coach, to help us understand it, because in the first 25 minutes, the team struggled to match Inter's pace, but in the first 15 minutes of the second half, you came back to 2-0, and it seemed you dominated the game. Then, ironically, because of wasted chances in front of goal and avoidable mistakes in your own penalty area, it seemed you did everything possible to lose the match...

One could say that for spectators and for Inter, who won, this was a great and thrilling match, but for us, it wasn't so thrilling. Because we went 2-0 up, then we conceded. The goal that made it 2-1 was careless—we conceded it, and unfortunately, after that, they were excellent and strong, and at that moment they raised their intensity and made it difficult for us. In that situation, we thought the ball was out of play, so we stopped, but that's football. We could do it, they could do it, and they did it, and they won the match.

Coach, how far are you from the condition you're pursuing and that you told us about last week at Como—namely, concentration at certain moments, at certain stages of the match, when the ball becomes "heavier" and when the intensity on the pitch is higher? Because we've just established that your team has only blown a two-goal lead once in 90 minutes, and that was in the Sassuolo vs. Milan match...

We need to improve, but our performance and ball control are still there. Because in the first 20 minutes, we know Inter always start very strong, and after we contained them, we already had some good chances to score in the first half. Then in the second half, after going 2-0 up, somehow – just as they're very good at it, for example, one minute before the end of the first half, we had a save by Meret and a free kick on the edge of the box, which already happened last Sunday against Como.

So we need to stay calm, because after all, the team also played well against Como. At this stage, we're paying too high a price for mistakes, and we need to avoid and reduce them. Then, as our physical condition improves, the team will certainly develop, because after all, we're only in matchday three. Losing now is disappointing, and now we need to think about the Champions League match on Wednesday.

Yes, Max, what I'd like to ask is, I think this was the best performance of these three matches, though clearly the result can't satisfy you because it's disappointing. What I'd like to ask is, after it became 2-1, did you feel that Inter's pressing would intensify, and for that reason decide to bring in a third center-back to strengthen the midfield defense, to better anticipate and prevent those crosses? I think the regret is that goal we conceded, setting aside Thuram's individual ability to score such a spectacular goal—it happened precisely in a situation where you might have wanted to protect and prevent...

And that's exactly what proves football has no logic. The fact is, at that moment, we needed to defend in the penalty area, but we conceded a goal in the penalty area. So perhaps I should have done something different, but that's how it is, so we have to accept it. The players need to keep their heads calm, because today they really played an outstanding match.

Good evening, Allegri. The big question before the match was Vergara and De Bruyne. They played these two matches in different contexts. I think, considering this is his first time playing at this level, Vergara played very well, while De Bruyne came on as a substitute at a very chaotic moment and sometimes looked a bit like a fish out of water. Of course, this isn't the De Bruyne we know, but considering how the match developed, do you think a different choice could have been made at that moment?

No, Vergara played very well, he played a beautiful game. I think this was his first time playing as a midfielder, and he did very well in the left-midfield position, showing extreme intensity and very high technical quality. Then we need to develop, because, for example, in the first half, Anguissa stopped the ball four times with the sole of his foot and lost possession four times in advantageous situations, and there's a clear need to improve on this. Because when you play at this level, you can't make these mistakes—every ball is crucial to winning the match, so you have to improve in this regard. But don't forget that Anguissa just came back from a long injury, and he still needs to regain his sharpness, and right now he's not at his best.

Coach, but can we, to a certain extent... No, I'm thinking about the closing stages—I mean, I think compared to the previous match, the team found courage in this performance that it didn't have before, so despite the disappointment and frustration, they can still hold their heads high—because if Anguissa had scored with an outside-of-the-boot shot in the 92nd minute, we'd now be talking about an achievement. I mean, can we find a positive side in this courage? After all, Napoli tried to press Inter in their penalty area for a long time, and although the first 20 minutes were difficult, they also limited them in certain aspects...

Well, there are positive aspects to this match, but the fact remains that we conceded five goals in two matches. This doesn't mean—because sometimes what I say is misunderstood—it doesn't mean that because we conceded five goals, we should play in a bunker. We need to play defensively to score goals when we have the ball, which is completely normal; and when we don't have the ball, we shouldn't concede goals. If we concede three goals in half an hour, that means we can definitely do better, there's no doubt about it, just like last Sunday against Como.

But this absolutely doesn't diminish everyone's performance, folks—it was a great match, a beautiful head-to-head confrontation, and I'm sure it was very enjoyable to watch too, because there was a lot of important technical action, and also intense duels. Especially the referee did an excellent job—they deserve praise for letting the game flow smoothly, so at least football was played. I think that's good for the sport, and that's the best thing about tonight's match.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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