Hellas Verona 3-0 Napoli: Verona put three past Gli Azzurri to hand Conte poor start to reign

The tenure of Antonio Conte at Napoli commenced under unfortunate circumstances, as the Partenopei experienced a defeat on the opening day of the Serie A season for the first time in nine years, succumbing to a 3-0 loss against Hellas Verona at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.

Always a figure of interest due to his behavior on the sidelines and in press conferences, Conte aimed to rejuvenate a Napoli team that had relinquished the Scudetto last season without a fight.

While his tactical approach has faced criticism in England, such sentiments have not been common in Italy. Nevertheless, the Partenopei encountered significant difficulties in generating scoring opportunities during a laborious first thirty minutes in Verona, with both teams managing a mere 0.01 xG.

The absence of the discontented striker Victor Osimhen was evidently detrimental to the visitors, who lacked a central figure in their offensive play.

Midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa was the first Napoli player to pose a threat, yet he failed to direct his header on target. Following this, Stanislav Lobotka sent an attempt over the crossbar, while Verona's goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipò remained untroubled as the teams went into halftime.

A significant setback for the visitors occurred just before the break, as winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had to leave the field due to injury. The hosts, who had not managed a single shot before halftime, sought to exploit their opponents' weakened state, but Grigoris Kastanos’ long-range attempt went wide.

Napoli did not take the warning seriously, and just five minutes after the match resumed, they found themselves trailing. Dailon Rocha Livramento marked his Serie A debut by converting Darko Lazović’s exquisite cross with the outside of his boot into the far post, quickly winning the affection of the home supporters.

In response, the visitors sought to regain control, with Anguissa spearheading their efforts. He came agonizingly close to equalizing when his shot from the edge of the penalty area struck the crossbar. However, any hopes of a Napoli comeback were dashed shortly thereafter, as Daniel Mosquera extended the hosts' advantage just one minute after entering the match.

The Colombian skillfully curled the ball into the far corner, eluding Alex Meret, and later added to his tally in stoppage time by finishing at the back post. This victory allowed the Mastiffs to break a three-match losing streak in home encounters against Napoli, while the visitors continued to struggle on the road, having secured only two wins in their last 13 Serie A away matches.