Mansion Sports – Antonio Conte admitted that an injury-depleted Napoli were unable to perform at their best in the 2-0 defeat to Benfica. “This is the cumulative effect of so many matches, and in the end we were bound to pay the price,” he said.

The Partenopei fielded the same lineup that had beaten Juventus on Sunday, and fatigue became increasingly evident in Lisbon.

They appeared sluggish and fell 2-0 through goals from Richard Rios and Leandro Barreiro, while Benfica’s goalkeeper was rarely troubled by Napoli’s attackers.

“To be honest, we were not sharp from the start. Benfica, who played on Friday, compared to us who played on Sunday after a run of demanding matches,” Conte told Sky Sport Italia.

“In those matches, we spent a lot of physical and mental energy. I had already spoken about energy before this match, because I knew that in the long run we would certainly pay the price. Today we struggled, they were particularly aggressive at the beginning.

“We wanted to play aggressively, but we made mistakes in pressing, allowing dangerous counterattacks, and that scared us. So in the first half we were too open, not aggressive enough in the press, especially behind their midfielders.

“Nevertheless, this is understandable. We were aware of the difficulties in this match, and when the pressure accumulates with six consecutive matches every three days, you are bound to pay the price. Now we arrive home late at night, tomorrow the players will have a day off, and on Friday we will prepare for another Serie A match.

“The players gave everything, they tried until the end to give their all, but it was clear they were not sharp, made poor decisions, and lacked quality. I cannot blame them, because they gave everything.”

Conte and Mourinho Meet Again

This match marked a reunion between Conte and Jose Mourinho, after frequent clashes between the two in Serie A and the Premier League.
However, the touchline atmosphere appeared relatively calm compared to their usual confrontations.

“We fought until the end, we tried, but we were like a diesel engine that needs time to heat up,” Conte said.

Napoli’s Champions League Fate Now in Doubt

Napoli’s progress in the Champions League is now in serious doubt, as they have collected only seven points from six matches and sit on the brink of the elimination zone.

“I already said after the last win that we are lacking players and the squad rotation options are limited to give players rest. The tempo in Italy has increased significantly in recent times, but do not forget Benfica played on Friday, we played on Sunday, then had to travel to Lisbon, so many small factors accumulated,” Conte continued.

“This is the cumulative effect of so many matches that eventually weighs heavily. I said the same after victories as well. It is not over, we still have to play on Sunday, and I think we will arrive home at 4 a.m.”

Napoli’s Severe Injury Crisis

The injury crisis is substantial, with Stanislav Lobotka, Billy Gilmour, Kevin De Bruyne, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Miguel Gutierrez, and Romelu Lukaku all unavailable.

“This is the situation we have, and I am proud of these players because they have given everything, but it is clear that we have lost sharpness. This situation will not improve in the short term, so we hope Lobotka and Gutierrez can return soon.

“We also do not know when Lukaku will be able to train with the team, he has not done so yet,” the coach concluded.