Home
+
Published : 15 Mar 2025, 09:21 PM
Relegation-threatened Venezia's record against the top teams makes them dangerous opponents even though they have just three Serie A wins this season, Napoli manager Antonio Conte said on Saturday ahead of a meeting between the sides.
Napoli have 60 points from 28 matches and are in second place, at the opposite end of the standings from Venezia, who are 19th and five points from safety.
However, Eusebio Di Francesco's side have been impressive in defence in the second half of the season, holding top-five sides Lazio and Atalanta to goalless draws while also making leaders Inter Milan and AS Roma work for 1-0 victories.
"With Venezia we will have to show that we are better than them, hungrier and more willing to win than them, knowing that they will want to do the same," Conte told reporters ahead of the match at the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium in Venice on Sunday.
"I have studied the teams that played there, the difficulties Inter Milan, AS Roma, Lazio faced. It won't be a walk in the park, I expect a great game, we need a demonstration of maturity and to show that we are on the ball.
"Nothing can be taken for granted, we face a healthy team, they will play their cards to save themselves, we will have to play a great match and I expect that."
Conte praised his striker Romelu Lukaku, who scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over Fiorentina last week and looked dangerous alongside forward Giacomo Raspadori.
Belgian international Lukaku, who signed from Premier League club Chelsea last year, has scored 10 times in all competitions for Napoli this season.
"Surely having someone on your side can relieve you of the duties of a first striker but Romelu had two good matches, as did the whole team," Conte said.
"But I expect more from him, already from tomorrow's game. He must confirm what he did in the last two but try to do even better, like everyone else, not just him."
