Napoli's Antonio Conte faces bogey side Juventus

Antonio Conte's Napoli are Italy's top team with the best start to the season in the first four games. The Partenopei lost 3-0 to Hellas Verona on the opening day, but gradually got to grips with the coach's methods and have won three in a row since then.

Ahead of this weekend, when Napoli visit Juventus and there is a ‘Derby della Madonnina’ in Milan, Conte's side are in 2nd place in the table with 9 points, behind only the 10 points of surprise package Udinese. Conte's side are a point clear of Inter Milan (8), Juventus (8) and Torino (8), and the visit of the Neapolitans to the ‘Vecchia Signora’ will serve as a test for the Lecce-born coach's project at the southern Italian club.

Antonio Conte's record against Juventus does not invite optimism. Eight times in his career the coach has faced the ‘Bianconeri’ and has only managed to beat them once, in a 2-0 win over Inter in Serie A in the 2020-21 season. Even the other positive result, a 0-0 draw on 9th February 2021 in the Coppa Italia, was of no use either, as the Nerazzurri had lost the first leg 1-2 and were knocked out in the semi-finals of the cup competition.

In addition to that stumble, Conte's teams have lost five other times when facing the ‘Vecchia Signora’. The first of these occurred in Serie B, when the coach was starting his career at Arezzo and lost 1-5 against Deschamps' Juventus on 19th May 2007. His Serie A debut against the ‘Bianconeri’ also ended in heavy defeat, as his Atalanta were beaten 5-2 by a team then coached by Ciro Ferrara on 7th November 2009.

Until on Saturday, all other clashes had always taken place within the Inter-Juventus rivalry between 2019 and 2021. In addition to the win, draw and defeat already outlined, Conte also lost 1-2 on 6th October 2019 and 2-0 on 8th March 2020. The last meeting so far against the ‘Vecchia Signora’ took place more than 3 years ago, on 15th May 2021, and Juventus also beat the Italian coach's Inter 3-2.

 

September 21, 2024