Conte lamented Napoli’s finishing but vowed they’ll battle ‘tooth and nail’ until the final whistle

Napoli ought to have been sharper in front of goal, as they finished with a goalless draw against relegation-threatened Venezia in Serie A on Saturday, according to manager Antonio Conte, who expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall performance.

The result leaves Napoli in second place with 61 points after 29 matches, level with leaders Inter Milan and three points ahead of third-place Atalanta, who are set to clash later on Sunday.

Despite taking 15 shots, Napoli found Venezia’s defence resolute, bolstered by a stellar display from goalkeeper Ionut Radu, who made seven critical saves to secure a precious point for the hosts.

Venezia nearly snatched a late winner in added time, but were unable to finish a sweeping counter-attack with a goal.

“I’m pleased with how we played, although we aimed for a win. The bright side is that we created numerous opportunities, while the downside is failing to convert,” Conte told the media.

“What concerned me was the six-on-two counter-attack at the end—that should never happen. We lost our focus at a crucial moment, and that is simply unacceptable.”

“We needed to be more decisive; it’s the team that finds the net that wins. With nine matches remaining, we intend to be a constant threat until the end, battling fiercely.”

Napoli will next face AC Milan on March 30, following the international break, which Conte believes will provide his weary squad with essential rest.

“We’re down to just half a squad. We’ll utilise this break to continue our training, maybe arranging a few friendlies for our new arrivals from January to help them acclimatise and improve their fitness,” he explained.

“We fully expect to have (winger) David Neres back to fitness. I hope the players heading off for international duty return fit and well.”

Conte mentioned that defender Amir Rrahmani, who was replaced in the 77th minute due to a suspected thigh injury, is not facing a serious issue, adding: “He mentioned he was fatigued; we’ll assess him further. It could just be a muscle strain.”