Allegri Addresses Napoli's Mood Swings Ahead of Inter Clash
Massimiliano Allegri walked into the press room and barely had time to sit down before the question came: with this many injuries and a defeat to Como behind them, is this even still a Scudetto race for Napoli?
He had heard enough.
“At Napoli it’s either over-excitement or depression, but we are only in Week 3,” he snapped, half-smiling, half-shrugging.
That line summed up his mission as much as his mood: cool the hysteria, steady the ship, and take an injury-ravaged squad into San Siro to face the team he openly calls “favourites for the Scudetto.”
On Saturday at 17.00 UK time, Napoli walk into Inter’s stadium carrying more doubts than points.
Como defeat, bigger losses
The 2-1 home loss to Como stung. Not so much for the performance – Allegri insisted it “wasn’t even bad” – but for what it cost.
Giovane limped off injured. Scott McTominay, already sidelined, has been ruled out for several weeks after surgery to correct a small heart issue. Add those to long-term absentees Alessandro Buongiorno and Luca Marianucci and Napoli’s spine looks alarmingly thin for a side heading into a direct clash with last season’s rival.
Yet Allegri, ever the pragmatist, chose to twist the crisis into a scheduling advantage.
“Injuries happen,” he said, “but if you think that after the break for international duty there are nine matches in 26 days, it’s better to have those injuries now so everyone can recover in time for that spell.”
The logic is ruthless: suffer now, survive Inter, and hit that brutal post-break run with a fuller squad.
Managing expectations, protecting youth
With so many players out, the obvious question turned to opportunity. Would this be Antonio Vergara’s moment?
Allegri pushed back.
“I don’t think we should put too much responsibility onto the shoulders of Vergara,” he warned. “He’s a good player, but I think he only has 12 games for Napoli, so we’ve got to take it easy.”
Against Como, Vergara stayed on the bench. Not a snub, Allegri insisted, just a choice in a match with only five substitutions to play with. The coach instead pointed to the physical curve of the squad.
“We are improving physically, I am happy with how the lads are training,” he said. “Now we have to make fewer errors in the matches.”
That was the real sting from Como: two avoidable goals, two lapses that turned a routine home win into a crisis headline.
De Bruyne waits, McTominay leaves a hole
Kevin De Bruyne remains one of the most scrutinised figures in this new-look Napoli. Two games into the Serie A season, he has yet to start.
“He is improving,” Allegri said, careful not to overplay expectations.
The real issue sits elsewhere in midfield. “Naturally I need to balance out the midfield without McTominay, as this limits the options.”
McTominay’s absence rips out a very specific tool from Allegri’s box: intensity, vertical runs, and a physical presence between the lines. The coach knows he cannot simply plug in a like-for-like replacement.
“I cannot ask anyone else for what we get from Scott, so it’s a different player with different characteristics.”
Benoit Badiashile, at least, is back in the squad. Allegri sounded genuinely pleased with what he had seen in training, another small piece returning just as the calendar begins to tighten.
Return to San Siro, and a clear favourite
For Allegri, San Siro is never just another stadium. He was fired by Milan there last summer, yet he left with both editions of the Derby della Madonnina against Inter in his pocket. He knows the arena, the noise, the scrutiny.
“Playing in that stadium is always marvellous,” he said. “Inter and Napoli love to do battle.”
This time, though, he is under no illusions about the balance of power.
“Inter are the real favourites for the Scudetto,” he stated bluntly.
Napoli, he argued, must strip the contest down to basics: a “good performance with fewer technical errors,” more care in both boxes, and none of the self-inflicted wounds that sank them against Como. Head-to-head clashes, he reminded everyone, are “always difficult to win.” Against this Inter, they are unforgiving.
Limited market, long season
Napoli’s summer was restrained. While other Serie A giants spent aggressively, Allegri’s club moved under tighter financial conditions, needing to sell before they could buy. The coach refused to lean on that as an excuse.
“There’s no point looking at the others, we need to focus on ourselves,” he said. “I’m pleased with the squad at our disposal.”
The message was clear: this is the group, this is the reality, now build something durable.
“We’ve got to lay the foundations now for what will be the final push of the season, taking one step at a time.”
San Siro will show whether Napoli are already wobbling, or simply pausing before they start to climb.
