As Napoli prepare to take on AC Milan in a highly anticipated encounter on Sunday evening, Antonio Conte has been at pains to play down the significance of the Serie A Matchday 5 fixture.
“There's no such thing as a Scudetto clash five games into the season,” the coach replied when asked if the game could be considered as such.
“We must try to put our game plan into practice, regardless of what we expect Milan to do. Let's not talk about the title or give labels to matches like this. Let's focus on the game, then time will tell how far we can go. Both teams will want to do their best as it's a battle for top spot. I think this season will be very balanced but we're only at the beginning.
“Obviously when you play against teams with history and prestige like Milan, it's always going to be a 'big match'. We respect every opponent, whether it's Milan, Inter, Juventus or any other team in Serie A. The season has only just began and there's a long way to go for everyone.”
On the prospect of AC Milan being down as title favourites, he explained: “I wouldn't say anyone is the favourite. What I can say is Milan, Juve and Inter are the history of Italian football and will always have an important part to play in any season – if nothing else for their heritage and history of success.
“It's going to be a tough match but it's also a great opportunity for the lads to show what they can do. We'll try to perform well. When you're playing on a stage like San Siro, you have to live up to expectations. We must show our worth."
The boss also confirmed Napoli will be without two key defenders at San Siro.
“[Amir] Rrahmani and [Alessandro] Buongiorno won't be involved tomorrow. We've been unlucky this week but you get problems over the course of the season. We have to make sure we come up with the right solutions.
“What I've been saying since the start is that we've brought lots of new players into the squad and we need to be patient and help them reach their best level. Of course some of them will have to gain experience by playing games like this.
“It's a shame our fans won't be able to come with us. They always give us amazing support. We'll give it our all for them too.”
