«All matches in Europe are important and complicated. We lost in Manchester and won against Sporting without last year’s starting defense. We are facing significant problems, and here it seems that everything is taken for granted. Full confidence in those who play. And patience: we must not exalt nor kill.» This is how Antonio Conte’s long press conference begins before PSV-Napoli. Tomorrow night the Azzurri are called to a real challenge: «In the first half in Turin we were not very concrete, then I liked the performance. The result a bit less. Let’s not think about Turin, let’s think about Sporting from the last time in the Champions League. We will face a team that is always strong and a protagonist in Europe. They play dangerous football, we need to be careful but we came here to play the match.»
With what formation? «We will look for a balanced formation to the maximum, PSV is always a formidable team even in the Champions League. Whether it’s 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, we always try to do our best, at the 90th minute everyone is an expert in saying who should have played. Our ambition is to understand where we are and how we are in this Champions League, without getting excited or discouraged. This remains the most important thing. Last year we didn’t play it, it’s a new journey. A school where we are students learning from the masters. There is the elite of European football.» And will McTominay be there? «We have to wait until tomorrow, he will choose whether to play after the ankle problem. He will have to take responsibility for the decision: he is important to us but forcing players is never good. We could have forced someone else too and we never did. Scott has always made himself available, I have full confidence in him as in everyone, but if he is not there we already have the solution ready.»
Conte looks to the future: «Lucca? The newcomers must integrate and raise the level, our season will depend on their adaptation while always maintaining a balance of judgments. Especially here: in Italy, if you score you’re a phenomenon, otherwise you’re a flop. De Bruyne is having an evolution at the moment, he is becoming more involved in the construction of the game. He likes to be inside the match, he has raised our level of quality and personality. Maybe I’m wrong, but for me, he expresses the maximum no longer in the position he played before but in the one where you see him with us today.»
Also in the conference was Sam Beukema: «Returning to the Netherlands is always nice. I also talked about it with Lang: Noa is very excited and also happy to be here,» said the Dutch center-back «My numbers are good but we are just at the beginning. With Napoli, everything has changed compared to a year ago, but I always try to improve myself. If I continue like this, I hope to convince the national team as well. But I remain focused on the club.»
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