Related items

• Al-Ettifaq 0-3 Al-Nassr: Ronaldo scores as Pioli earns first win

  Stefano Pioli won his first game in charge of Al-Nassr, with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Al-Ettifaq on Friday.

  Cristiano Ronaldo netted the first goal of Pioli's reign as Al-Nassr picked up just their second win in the Saudi Pro League this season.

  It was a fairly even first half until Abdullah Madu fouled Sultan Al Ghannam in the box, and Ronaldo made no mistake from 12 yards to put the visitors in front.

  Angelo and Talisca were both denied by the goalkeeper before half-time, but Al-Nassr doubled their lead with the first shot of the second half, as Salem Al Najdi scored a delightful chip from a tight angle in the 56th minute.

  Talisca did get his goal in the 70th minute, beating Marek Rodak for power with his low drive after being picked out by Sadio Mane.

  Ronaldo almost got a second late on, but with just one minute remaining, he struck the woodwork with a long-range strike. 

  Data Debrief: Pioli inspires total dominance

  Al-Ettifaq were unbeaten coming into this game, but they offered little in terms of fight, mustering just six shots, two of which were on target, and created just 0.44 expected goals. 

  Al-Nassr on the other hand, tested Rodak with half of their 14 shots on target (1.83 xG) - Talisca had the most (five) and was rewarded for it with his late goal.

  It was Mane who pulled the strings though, creating four chances, and claiming two assists, while his 18 passes into the final third were the most of anyone on the pitch. 

• Motta not focused on Conte reunion ahead of Napoli clash

  Thiago Motta said Juventus' main focus was on improving players' form, rather than the return of Napoli head coach Antonio Conte.

  Conte will be back at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday for the first time as Napoli boss, having enjoyed a trophy-laden career at Juve as both a player and a manager.

  As a player, he made 419 appearances, winning 12 titles, while as their head coach, he led Juventus to three consecutive Serie A titles. 

  Juventus started the campaign with two wins but were then held by Roma and Empoli, while Conte's side are on a three-game winning streak, sitting in second.

  Motta's side did, however, return to winning ways in the Champions League in midweek, beating PSV 3-1.

  Conte said he was relishing his return to Turin, but Motta did not dwell on the nostalgia of the occasion as he aims to get back to winning ways.

  "You are too focused on Conte and me," Motta told reporters on Friday. "Tomorrow it's Juventus-Napoli. Players are the protagonists, and we hope that our footballers will show their worth as always, bringing the game where we want."

  Motta played under Conte at Euro 2016 and said he has a great relationship with his former coach. They have met as managers only once, back in 2019 when Conte was in charge at Inter and Motta managed Genoa.

  Napoli won the title in 2023 but finished mid-table last season, 41 points behind champions Inter, while also failing to qualify for Europe.

  But Motta said Conte's comparatively well-rested side are built to win the Scudetto this term.

  “They are a strong team, and they’ve made changes this season built to aim for the highest and to win [the league]," Motta added.

  "I don't know if it’s an advantage not to be playing in European competitions. The calendar is this one for us. We have to go and face teams game after game."

  The 42-year-old added that striker Dusan Vlahovic, who was visibly upset after missing chances against PSV, is improving.

  "[He] must always have the ambition to improve, just like everyone else, starting with me. His play alongside the team is improving," he said.

  Motta confirmed that centre-back Federico Gatti, who sustained a minor injury against PSV, will be available on Saturday, while forward Francisco Conceicao remains sidelined.

• No love lost for Conte ahead of 'emotional' Juventus reunion

  Antonio Conte is relishing Napoli's upcoming clash that will see him return to Juventus, a club he both played for and managed. 

  Conte has started his career in Naples in fine form, leading Napoli to three wins from their first four league games and to second in the Serie A standings. 

  But this weekend sees him return to the club he made 419 appearances for as a player, winning 12 titles, which included the Champions League in 1995-96. 

  Having started his managerial journey at Arezzo in 2006, the Italian returned to Juventus in 2011, replacing Luigi Delneri as their new head coach. 

  Conte led Juventus to three consecutive Scudetto titles, winning 90 of his 133 games in charge (D30 L13) before becoming the Italy national team head coach. 

  The last time the 55-year-old travelled to Turin as the opposing team's manager was in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, with his Inter side losing 3-2 having already won the title. 

  "My past is clear, 13 years at Juve as a player, I was captain for several years, winning practically everything," Conte said.  

  "I had the opportunity to coach for three years, starting a series of nine Scudetti.

  "I am part of Juve's history because of what I've done and given them. It's easier to stay at one club your entire career.

  "But as a coach it's impossible to decide your own career. I coached Juve for three years, my career took me to different places.

  "Today I have the true pleasure of coaching a team like Napoli. For me, being someone from the south, it is a proud and satisfying feeling.

  "There will be lots of emotions returning to that stadium, because last time I returned during COVID."

  Conte comes up against a man he knows well in Juventus head coach Thiago Motta, having managed him during his time with the Italian national team. 

  Motta has collected eight points from his four games in charge of his new club after leading Bologna to Champions League qualification last term. 

  The 42-year-old marked his first game as a head coach in the Champions League with a comfortable 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday. 

  Conte wished Motta well for the season, but not at the expense of his Napoli side. 

  "Thiago Motta takes on a heavy legacy... It's not a trivial thing to coach there, there is a demand for victory, like at Milan or Inter," Conte said.

  "He was a player of mine with the national team at the European Championships. He makes me smile, but it also saddens me a bit because I'm getting old.

  "He did very well in Bologna and so I wish him the best from a human point of view, but not in the games against us."