Carlo Ancelotti concedes Napoli were forced to play more defensively against “dynamic and aggressive” Atalanta. “It’s not as if I dislike defending!”
Fabian Ruiz put them in front within 76 seconds, cancelled out after the restart by Duvan Zapata, but Arkadiusz Milik came off the bench to score the winner late on.
Carlo Ancelotti concedes Napoli were forced to play more defensively against “dynamic and aggressive” Atalanta. “It’s not as if I dislike defending!”
Fabian Ruiz put them in front within 76 seconds, cancelled out after the restart by Duvan Zapata, but Arkadiusz Milik came off the bench to score the winner late on.
“We knew Atalanta play very dynamic and aggressive football, so it was tough. We played a slightly different game than we had expected, as we took the lead so early and allowed Atalanta to come forward. They pushed hard and deserved the equaliser, but then a different match opened up.
“Probably the energy they spent to get back into it left them fatigued and we had more left in the tank to win,” the Coach told Sky Sport Italia.
“I love attacking football, but it’s not as if I dislike defending! We attack when we need to and defend when we need to. It wasn’t something we were accustomed to, defending so much here, but Atalanta pushed us into that attitude with their pressure.
“Everyone wants champagne football, but there are the opponents to deal with too and this performance was a show of maturity. I also want to point out the atmosphere was wonderful, it was a festival of sport for everyone and the Atalanta fans sent a wonderful signal as to what games should be like, both on and off the field.”
There had been concerns before kick-off due to the history of tension between the fans, as Napoli threatened to walk off the field if there were chants of ‘territorial discrimination’ against Neapolitans, but fortunately it remained a civilised occasion.
Milik came on as a substitute and scored within four minutes, his fifth Serie A goal of the season.
“All those who came off the bench made a difference. It’s a very, very important goal for all of us. Milik went through a difficult period because he didn’t play consistently, but he remained motivated and concentrated, so deserves this joy.”
Leaders Juventus take on Inter next week in the Derby d’Italia, so is Ancelotti cheering on the Nerazzurri?
“The first jersey I was ever given was an Inter shirt… I’d have to go look for it. Mind you, I was only six years old.”