Napoli Take Control of Scudetto Race

NAPLES, MONDAY - Napoli has suddenly found itself at the forefront of the "Scudetto" or Italian League champions race following a 2-0 victory over Torino at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Naples, on Monday (28/4/2025). The team, managed by coach Antonio Conte, capitalized on Inter Milan's defeat to AS Roma. With only four matches remaining in the league, Napoli must maintain its focus to avoid slipping up until they reach the finish line.

The victory over Torino has put Napoli three points ahead of Inter, who are in second place. Midfielder Scott McTominay became Napoli's hero with his two goals in the first half. In another match, Inter lost their top position in the standings due to a 0-1 defeat against Roma. This situation puts Napoli in a favorable position.

We won with strong determination, a team that is aware of its own strengths, and undoubtedly the audience continued to support us today.

At a time when Inter has lost control in the title race, Napoli can afford to be somewhat complacent as they face relatively less formidable opponents. In the remaining four matches, Napoli will compete against two teams at the bottom of the table, Lecce and Cagliari. Additionally, there is Parma, which is struggling to distance itself from the relegation zone, and Genoa, which is stuck in mid-table.

Conte stated that his team's victory over Torino is the first step towards winning the league. If realized, Conte would repeat the success he had while managing Chelsea in 2016-2017. At that time, Conte was in his first season as Chelsea's coach and immediately led his team to the championship. This time, the situation is similar as Conte is currently in his debut season as the coach of Napoli.

"There are four more steps to take. We have taken the first step and are in front. Everything is in our hands. We won with determination, a team that is aware of its own strengths, and of course the crowd supported us today," Conte said, as quoted by Football Italia.

As for Napoli, they are now closer to winning their second league title in three years. Napoli also experienced championship glory in the 2022-2023 season when they were still coached by Luciano Spalletti, who is now managing the Italian national team.

Despite the loss of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen, who are the lifeblood of the attacking line, Napoli's resilience remains intact. "The Donkey" continues to be sharp thanks to the skills of midfield players such as McTominay, Stanislav Lobotka, and Frank Anguissa. In addition to Romelu Lukaku, who plays as a forward, McTominay ranks second among players with the most goal involvement, totaling 11 goals and two assists.

"Looking at the composition of the squad, we need to find ways to score goals because this is not a team that has many players who score in large numbers. Therefore, it is inevitable that you need to work hard and try to make the best use of the resources you have by improving them. I think everyone in the team has improved. Looking at the first goal, Anguissa provided an assist without looking, which was great for Scott to score," Conte stated.

Conte always knows how to seize opportunities. When Inter was struggling after suffering two consecutive league defeats against Bologna and Roma, Napoli continued to advance by securing three consecutive victories without conceding a single goal. In fact, just two weeks prior, Inter was still leading the title race. Everything changed within the span of eight days.

In addition to two consecutive defeats in the league, Inter also suffered a major blow after losing to Milan in the Italian Cup semifinals. This took away Inter's chance of winning the treble (three titles in one season). Inter's chances of winning a trophy are only the Italian League and the Champions League.

Despite the bad trend, Inter left-back Carlo Augusto insists his team is not afraid ahead of the Champions League semifinal against Barcelona. He also said his team is not affected by the opinion circulating that Inter could end the season without a trophy. This is very ironic considering that the "Nerazzurri" were predicted to be able to achieve the treble this season.

"We lost in three matches and we regret having to play more this season, and we must not give up. We still have to play more, we know how difficult that is, but we must remain united as a team and look ahead," said Augusto. (REUTERS)