Conte calls for calm with Napoli's title dreams going to the wire
Napoli's lead at the top of Serie A has been cut to just one point after a draw with Genoa, but Antonio Conte is not panicking just yet.
Antonio Conte urged his Napoli players to keep some perspective after Sunday's 2-2 draw with Genoa, insisting his side are still in the hunt for the Serie A title.
Napoli held a three-point advantage over Inter going into the weekend, but after the Nerazzurri beat Torino 2-0 earlier on Sunday, the title race is now wide open, with Conte's side's advantage now down to a single point.
Twice Napoli led, with Romelu Lukaku and Giacomo Raspadori both scoring on either side of Alex Meret's own goal, but Johan Vasquez's 84th-minute goal ensured Genoa left with a point.
It was the first time the Partenopei have drawn at home since March 2024, when they were held at home by Udinese, while it is the first time they have conceded at least two goals at home since November - a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta.
With only two games left to play, and the title within touching distance, Conte still believes Napoli have overachieved this season.
"The last rounds represent a target that at the start was absolutely unthinkable. To achieve that would be incredible," Conte told DAZN. "These fans deserve it, as the people of Naples always followed us with passion and enthusiasm.
"We are still going beyond our capabilities, so can only thank these players for everything. The bitterness today is because it was not a deserved draw, but I always tell them that details make the difference, and we could've done something better in those details today.
"We did not deserve to drop these two points, but at the same time, we must remember we've lost the bonus that we had.
"We needed seven points from three rounds to win the title, now we need six points from two if we want to win the Scudetto, which would still be something incredible."
Napoli had 22 shots against Genoa, with 11 of those hitting the target, though they only created 1.7 expected goals (xG) throughout.
At the other end, they allowed just eight shots worth 0.7 xG, with Genoa having just two efforts on target. They also twice hit the post through Andrea Pinamonti and Honest Ahanor, whose header against the post led to Meret's unfortunate own goal.
Conte was visibly irritated by the chances Napoli wasted throughout the match.
"Genoa had two shots on goal and scored both. These things happen too in football, when you concede a goal, you could've always done something better," he said.
"I could not have asked for more from my players, as they had 22 shots on goal, 11 of them on target, dominated possession, and in the end it was a draw. We must improve in these situations.
"It’s disappointing because we deserved to win for all that we created, so there remains bitterness and regret."