Antonio Conte was frustrated that VAR did not reverse a penalty decision against Napoli as they played out a 1-1 draw with Inter on Sunday.

Hakan Calhanoglu failed to convert the spot kick in question late in the game, with the Turkish international having equalised for the hosts after Scott McTominay's opener.

Despite the decision not affecting the result in the end, Conte criticised VAR for not overruling the referee's decision to penalise Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa for a foul on Denzel Dumfries. 

"Can they [VAR] only intervene when it suits them? A decision from the referee like this can transform a match and VAR cannot do anything about it," Conte told DAZN.

"Either VAR is there to correct errors or it is not. If there is an error, it has to intervene. It really angers me, but it does to all coaches. It has to intervene if there is a mistake.

"If there is VAR, it must be used to correct errors or show the referee situations that he did not see. If it's a clear error, and it was, then why should [referee Maurizio] Mariani be allowed to just do that."

Despite his frustration with refereeing decisions, Conte was satisfied with his team's performance, as they held strong against a spirited second-half display from the Italian champions.

"I said that we would not come here to just be sparring partners against the strongest squad in Serie A, so it was important for us to face them with strength, character, accepting duels all over the field," he said.

"On that score, I am very satisfied. It was not easy to play here. We all know that we are making improvements and working hard, otherwise, you don't come to San Siro twice and also against Juventus without defeat.

"The lads are proving themselves, though, of course, we could've done much, much more in terms of quality today. There were too many errors, a lot of technical errors, but I am sure there will be further improvements."

Napoli's point ensured they stayed top of Serie A heading into the international break, moving them to 26 points in what is shaping up to be a tight title race. Conte's side sit one point clear of Atalanta, Fiorentina, Inter and Lazio.

Simone Inzaghi predicts a great match-up between Inter and Napoli, who he believes are stronger and very well-organised under new coach Antonio Conte.

The teams will face off in a top-of-the-table Serie A showdown on Sunday, with Napoli currently sitting top of the pile on 25 points, with reigning champions Inter just one point behind them.

Inter enjoy facing Napoli though, recording their most home wins against the Partenopei in Serie A, winning 51 of their 78 such meetings, including each of the last four. 

Napoli were beaten 3-0 in their last match by Atalanta, but Inzaghi was quick to point out the positive changes Conte had instilled since taking over.

"Tomorrow's game against Napoli will be a good one," he told a press conference on Saturday.

"We are facing the leaders and coach Conte has already managed to give the team an excellent organisation, which is strong and of high quality."

Inter are coming off a dramatic 1-0 home win over Arsenal in the Champions League, thanks to Hakan Calhanoglu's controversial penalty.

They are now unbeaten in their last nine matches in all competitions, winning each of their last three, but Inzaghi knows hosting the domestic leaders will be a different matter despite their building momentum. 

"We know Napoli, they are an organised team who only conceded away goals in their first game. We know their qualities, and we are preparing to have a great match," he said.

"It's too early to talk about the table. It's the 12th game of the championship, there are so many to go. But we know that this game is important for us because it is the last one before the [international] break, and we'll try to do our best."

Antonio Conte has no intention of holding anything back when he returns to San Siro, as the top two face off in Serie A on Sunday.

The Italian revived Inter and helped them break Juventus's nine-year stranglehold on the Scudetto, stopping their run in the 2020-21 season to win the title for the first time since their treble-winning campaign in 2009-10.

Now at Napoli, a club that is looking to return to the heights of their 2022-23 title win, Conte's side sit top of Serie A with 25 points after 11 games - a point above Inter ahead of their upcoming clash.

"It's definitely nice to return to where I worked and won. Yes, two happy years," Conte told reporters.

"It was a wonderful experience that I carry within me, like all the past ones that I lived to the fullest."

Napoli's winning run in Serie A came to a grinding halt against Atalanta last weekend when Conte's side were beaten 3-0, and they have a poor recent record against Inter, having won just one of their last 10 Serie A matches against them.

Napoli are looking to avoid suffering two consecutive top-flight losses for the first time since last December, and Conte says he is in no mood to drop three points again.

"The three points is always important, it is inevitable that we face a team that today, for everything they have shown, is the strongest team," Conte added.

"We are not going to San Siro to wave the white flag before starting, but convinced to play our cards. Then we will see what happens. We are preparing in a major way, as we always do.

"It will be an important test, we will measure ourselves against the best, and it will be important to understand our progress. Do not forget that we arrive at the top of the table... and the objective is to remain at the top."

Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku has scored only one goal in his last four games, but when asked about his form, Conte said he was tired of questions about the Belgian striker.

"At every blessed conference, there is always the question about Lukaku. It becomes a bit - not annoying - but we are talking about the team. Lukaku's growth depends on the growth of the team," Conte said.

"But I am confident because I see them every day, they want to work and improve. I see a lot of commitment and I would not reduce it to a single player. It is not fair to the others."

Antonio Conte insisted that Napoli's chances of a Scudetto triumph in his first season in charge required more work rather than prayers. 

Napoli are top of the pile in Serie A, with their 2-0 win over Milan in midweek putting them four points ahead of defending champions Inter in the early season standings. 

It's a remarkable turnaround from last term, with Napoli finishing 10th in their Scudetto defence, seeing both Rudi Garcia and Walter Mazzarri lose their jobs. 

After Conte started his Napoli tenure with a 3-0 defeat to Hellas Verona on the opening day of the season, they have gone undefeated in their next nine games. 

That includes winning the last five league games in a row for the first time since a run of eight under Luciano Spalletti between January and February 2023. 

This season, only Barcelona (10) have won more games than Napoli (eight) across the top five European leagues, though Conte was reserved when asked about his team's chances of winning the title.

"I am a man of faith, even practically, and I know only one person who performs them," Conte told a press conference.

"I always pray, even for the team, that they are well. In addition to my family, there is also a prayer for the players.

"We must work, all of us, from the cook and the kit man to create something beautiful that can give extra points in a championship.

"We cannot make any mistakes in this, we are not in a position to make mistakes.

"Then, football miracles have always happened, but you have to work to hope it happens, it's not enough to pray."

Napoli welcome Atalanta to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with Conte aiming to become the first coach in the club's history to win each of his first six home games in Serie A. 

Since 2022, Napoli have won four of their five league meetings against Atalanta. In this period, Gian Piero Gasperini's side have only lost more games to Inter (D1 L5). 

But Atalanta have impressed under Gasperini, winning the Europa League last season with a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the final. 

Gasperini finished behind Luis de la Fuente, Xabi Alonso and winner Carlo Ancelotti for the Men's Johan Cruyff Trophy, an accolade given to football's best coach last season at Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony. 

Conte was full of praise for his opposite number, however, saying: "They have been in the Champions League for years, it is a team that today must be counted among the strongest, without a doubt.

"Credit to the club, to Gasperini, who has done an extraordinary job in all these years, and I have great respect for Gian Piero.

"When I played at Juventus he was coach of the youth team.

"I respect him a lot. Through hard work, he has achieved results. You don't win the Europa League if you are not strong."

Napoli manager Antonio Conte insisted that getting into Europe is the main aim with Napoli, although is finding it harder to ignore talk of the Scudetto after they extended their lead at the top of the league to seven points on Tuesday.

Conte's side won 2-0 away to Milan to earn their eighth victory in a nine-match unbeaten run in the league, with a considerable gap having opened ahead of second-placed Inter's trip to Empoli on Wednesday.

The 25 points they have already accrued, meanwhile, constitute almost half of what they did last season (53) during a terrible title defence that saw Napoli finish 10th.

But after such a dismal season compared to how they have started this one, Conte needs to balance expectations within the club.

"Scudetto? No one is hiding. We see realistically what we are doing this year," he told DAZN.

"After 10 games, it has something of the incredible and unexpected.

"Not even the craziest would have predicted it. But we remain with our feet on the ground.

"We know what our goal is, which is to return to Europe. But there are five or six teams that have the same idea.

"Winning in Naples would be something incredible. We have given ourselves three years. We are rebuilding something and it takes time."

Having performed so well at the start of this season, Conte is aware that it will be hard to stop the fans getting carried away.

"We try to feed the dreams of the fans, but we need to have balance," he said.

"Our fans followed us with passion even today, it is right that they dream. We have to be prepared when there is some setback.

"We want to make the Neapolitan fans proud of this team."

Antonio Conte refused to criticise his Napoli players after they laboured to another hard-fought win against one of Serie A's lesser lights on Saturday.

One week after beating Empoli 1-0, the Partenopei overcame 19th-placed Lecce by the same scoreline as Giovanni Di Lorenzo scored on the rebound in the 73rd minute.

Napoli are now unbeaten in their last eight league games, winning seven and drawing one, their best run since February 2023, when they went on to win the Scudetto.

Despite a series of flat attacking displays, they are five points clear of nearest rivals Inter ahead of the Nerazzurri's clash with Juventus on Sunday, and Conte refused to criticise their performances when speaking to DAZN.

"I have little to reproach the team today. I look at the statistics that can mean all or nothing, but today we had great ball possession and 16 corners," Conte said.

"They defended in an organised way, but we attacked. When you attack and don't score, then a bit of nervousness can take over.

"I calmed them down, because you have to have the maturity and patience to keep going, move the ball around and create chances to score."

Calmness is what is required according to Conte, especially against teams who set up to stop Napoli playing, with Lecce adopting a defence-first approach after losing 6-0 to Fiorentina last time out.

"We did what we had to, we dominated from start to finish. I can't ask more of the players looking at the statistics from the game," Conte said at his post-match press conference.

"I can ask that when the teams close down you have to have patience and calm. I'm happy because they are very difficult games.

"The standings don't reflect fairly on Lecce, I wish them the best and I'm sure they will get salvation."

Napoli midfielder Frank Anguissa gave an insight into Conte's reaction after a scoreless first half.

"He didn't shout. He told us to continue playing as we know how, and to remain calm," Anguissa told DAZN.

"It's always difficult playing against a team that defends so low. I'm happy for Di Lorenzo and for the squad."

Antonio Conte is anticipating an emotional occasion when his Napoli side meet his former club Lecce on Saturday, but he knows the Serie A leaders have a job to do. 

Conte started out in the youth ranks at Lecce in 1985 and made his debut the following year, before going on to become a household name as a midfielder with Juventus and Italy.

Napoli, who went through three coaches and finished 10th last season, have taken 19 points from his first eight matches at the helm to lead the Scudetto race at this early stage.

While Conte is looking forward to his reunion with Lecce, his primary focus is on keeping the Partenopei's strong run going.

"There are feelings, but there is also professionalism as well. You have to separate those things," Conte said on Thursday. 

"Lecce represents my origins, the dusty pitches, my father's team, where I grew up and went through the ranks up to Serie A.

"It's always held a special place in my heart. Nobody will take that away from me, but there's still an opponent to take on."

Discussing the options in his squad, the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss added: "I make choices based on what I see, maybe certain things that aren't always seen by everyone else, even if you seem to know at least 85% of what goes on. I try to put the best team out in the formation that I think suits us best.

"It's an important game against Lecce if we want to continue getting results. I still have tomorrow to make the final decisions and draw up my starting XI."

Napoli are yet to field star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and close-season signing David Neres in the same lineup, but Conte feels the pair can play together in the right scenario.

"It's important to remember that when you play against a team that blocks off five channels, there's a need to drop a winger into midfield, like [Matteo] Politano, or drop a midfielder deeper to create a five like other teams do," Conte said.

"We could also play [Stanislav] Lobotka or [Billy] Gilmour deeper so that there's not a numerical inferiority.

"If teams don't line up against us like that, then there's a possibility of seeing Kvara and Neres together, but balance is the basis of everything."

Napoli took all three points in a 1-0 win over Empoli on Sunday, and Antonio Conte was happy to get the victory after a disappointing first 45 minutes.

A second-half penalty from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia earned them a 1-0 win, but they could easily have been trailing at the break due to a sluggish start.

They were outplayed in the first half by Empoli, who had 10 shots, four of which were on target, and accumulated 0.66 expected goals (xG), compared to the visitors, who only managed three efforts without testing Devis Vasquez.

Napoli finished the match with just one shot on target, the goal, and Conte recalled their dismal title defence last season along with their 3-0 opening-day defeat to Verona to highlight how their approach has changed when they struggle to break down stubborn opponents.

"In the first half we were spectators, I didn't see what we had prepared, and I saw a lot of nervousness," Conte told reporters.

"Certainly, what satisfies me is to have seen a reaction in the second half. The first was very negative.

"This is a difficult place to come. I don't know if it was due to the fact of defending the top spot, but it makes me smile if I think about last year or how we started this season."

The penalty is the first goal that Empoli have conceded at home this season, as the hosts suffered their second consecutive defeat.

Conte sent on Giovanni Simeone for Romelu Lukaku and replaced Leonardo Spinazzola with Mathias Olivera just before the hour mark to try and inject something different into the game.

Seconds later, they were awarded the decisive penalty, and Conte was pleased that the changes paid off.

"When you work during the week you prepare the game in all phases, we had prepared it defensively with 4-5-1," Conte added.

"I changed something from a tactical point of view, from a possession point of view. I think it bore fruit because we saw another game."

Antonio Conte believes there is still plenty of work for Napoli to do, despite sitting top of the Serie A standings. 

After narrowly edging past Serie B side Modena on penalties in the Coppa Italia first round in his first game, Conte followed it up with a 3-0 defeat to Verona in his first league match.

Since then, Napoli are unbeaten, winning six of their next seven games, only dropping points in a goalless draw with the Italian's former club, Juventus.

However, despite their impressive form, Conte is wary of getting too carried away.

"We are with the 'work in progress' sign, it cannot be otherwise after only three months," Conte told a press conference ahead of Sunday's game at Empoli.

"Otherwise, we would all underestimate the path that needs to be taken in a reconstruction phase like ours. We're just getting started.

"Victories are built, they are not invented, but what I feel I can guarantee is to rebuild solid foundations that can last over time."

The international break has left Conte without midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, injured while playing with Slovakia.

Lobotka has started all seven league games under Conte and was an ever-present in the starting side last season, but the manager is confident that Scotland international Billy Gilmour is ready for what will be his first Serie A start.

"It's not a very serious problem but we have to face it and recover, obviously I'm sorry because he was expressing himself at very high levels, but at the same time it will be an opportunity to see Gilmour," Conte said.

"Billy knows what he has to do, he hasn't trained only in these two days, but from the beginning. It changes little, the characteristics are very similar. If Gilmour hadn't been there it would have been different."

Napoli's bid to remain on top will face a stern test away to Empoli. The Tuscan side have lost only once this season, and have the second-best defensive record in Serie A, conceding four goals in their seven games.

"We are talking about a team that suffered their only defeat before the break, in the last minutes and on a difficult pitch, against Lazio at the Olimpico," Conte said.

"It is precisely in these matches that the spirit of sacrifice, according to the Empoli players, becomes an important weapon for them.

"I will not tolerate a spirit of sacrifice inferior to that of Empoli."

Antonio Conte is embracing Napoli's recent run of form after they extended their lead at the Serie A summit to four points ahead of the international break. 

Scott McTominay's early opener was cancelled out by Gabriel Strefezza, only for star man Romelu Lukaku and substitute David Neres to seal the win after the break. 

Conte is now the sixth manager to have won each of his first four home games as Napoli head coach in Serie A, after Paolo Iodice, Luis Vinicio, Alberto Bigon, Carlo Ancelotti and Luciano Spalletti.

The Italian, however, started his Napoli reign with a shock 3-0 defeat to Hellas Verona on the opening day, but his team have since gone seven games unbeaten, scoring 19 goals during that run. 

Conte acknowledged that his side may not deserve to be at the top of the table, but felt quietly optimistic about his players' progression during the early stages of his tenure.

"I don't know if this is currently a Napoli that deserves to be in first place in the standings, but we are first and that is a fact," Conte said to DAZN.

"If someone had told me this three months ago, it would have been difficult to believe.

"We're growing in terms of temperament, and in our ability to adapt—playing good football, but also willing to get our hands dirty when we need to.

"That's a great sign, and we have to embrace it fully."

But the encounter against Como was far from comfortable for Conte's side, with the visitors registering 11 shots compared to Napoli's nine, while Cesc Fabregas' men also ended the contest with 59.3% possession. 

Napoli, though, created the better chances, ending the encounter with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.02 from their six efforts on target, with Lukaku continuing to flourish under Conte's stewardship. 

McTominay's opening goal after 26 seconds was the third-quickest for Napoli in the three-points-per-game era, while the former Manchester United midfielder also became the first Scottish player to score for Gli Azzurri in Serie A. 

"We started well in the first half, scoring a great goal, the result of our hard work," Conte said.

"Then we changed things tactically in the second half, and they were no longer in the game.

"We lost too many duels, but that's part of the process of rebuilding confidence and self-esteem."

Conte also showered praise on the home supporters inside the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. 

"Playing in Naples, at the Maradona, with a full stadium means that the players can really feel the crowd's emotions," he said. 

If you make mistakes, you can feel the disappointment, and that can chip away at your confidence.

"Napoli has a deep passion for football. We try to feed that passion by giving our all, like we did today. In the second half, we improved from every point of view."

Romelu Lukaku continued his fine start to life at Napoli as the Belgian notched a goal and two assists in his side's 3-1 win over Como on Friday. 

The hosts found themselves ahead with just 26 seconds on the clock when Scott McTominay was picked out by Lukaku, with the Scotland international firing home his first goal for Gli Azzurri off the post. 

But Como would draw themselves level two minutes before the break when Gabriel Strefezza's strike from distance rifled into the bottom corner. 

However, Antonio Conte's side needed just eight minutes after the interval to restore their advantage when Sergi Roberto brought down Mathias Olivera, with Lukaku stepping up to net his fourth Serie A goal of the season. 

Napoli continued to push for a third goal to secure the victory, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia going closest but saw his effort saved by Emil Audero. 

But the points were sealed in the 86th minute when Lukaku turned provider once again, holding off his marker before slipping through substitute David Neres who slotted home with a fine finish to extend Napoli's lead at the top of the standings to four points. 

Data Debrief: Lukaku continues Conte love story

Lukaku has been a player reborn under Conte's stewardship. The Belgian is the player who has been involved in the most goals in his first five appearances for Napoli in Serie A since the Italian top-flight returned to 20 teams (since 2004/05) - three goals and four assists. 

He has also managed to better his assist tally for the whole of last season, managing just three in 32 appearances for Roma last term. 

McTominay's goal after 26 seconds is the third-fastest scored by Napoli since the start of a Serie A match in the three points for a win era, after Hirving Lozano's goal against Hellas Verona in 2021 (nine seconds) and Ezequiel Lavezzi's goal against Genoa in 2008 (25 seconds).

Napoli boss Antonio Conte is excited to reunite with his former player Cesc Fabregas when they meet as rival coaches in Friday's Serie A match against Como.

Conte has led the Partenopei to the top of Serie A for the first time since they won the Scudetto in 2022-23, with a return of 13 points from six games putting them one clear of Juventus.

They have taken seven points from their last three, as have newly promoted Como, who travel to Naples sitting just inside the top half.

Conte worked with Como boss Fabregas at Chelsea, the Spaniard playing a key role in his midfield as the Blues won the Premier League in 2017 and the FA Cup in 2018.

"His journey is developing quickly; it's been great to see so far. He's proving that he's very prepared in every aspect," Conte said of Fabregas at a press conference on Wednesday.

"I always thought he could become a coach. He played in the middle of the pitch and always asked why certain things were done. I'm happy for him."

Another former Chelsea player, Romelu Lukaku, joined Conte in Naples in August and has scored two league goals and provided two assists for his new club. 

Conte said the striker is still working to hit peak physical condition, adding: "He's working hard and starting to handle the same workload as his team-mates. 

"However, he needs specific training because his body functions differently from many others. But now he's beginning to get into good shape.

"He's perfectly integrated into the team, and on the field, he's always someone who, no matter what, makes a difference."

Conte emphasised that Napoli were still growing as a team, despite many tipping them for a Scudetto push following their strong start.

"Like everyone, we're working to keep improving in all areas, tactically, in our decision-making, and in our overall game management," he said.

"It's only been three months, so there's room for improvement in every aspect, but I can see growth not just tactically, but also in terms of character, determination and hunger." 

Antonio Conte warned against complacency after Napoli ended a Serie A matchday top of the table for the first time since they captured the Scudetto in 2022-23.

Goals from Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia helped Napoli to a 2-0 home win over Monza on Sunday, taking them to 13 points from their first six league games under Conte.

Having gone through three head coaches as they finished a dismal 10th as defending champions last season, Napoli have now kept as many Serie A clean sheets under Conte (four) as they managed in their previous 31 outings in the competition.

They have also managed three successive shutouts for the first time since February 2023 and are guaranteed to end matchday six at the summit of Serie A.

Conte, however, says there is much work to be done and has warned the Partenopei's lack of European football, while allowing them more rest time, denies them a chance to build momentum.

"There is an advantage and a disadvantage of not playing in Europe – the advantage is that you can train the team all week, the disadvantage is that the squad is not as competitive as those that do play in Europe," Conte told DAZN.

"Having said that, we continue to work, we do it to make people's dreams come true but the reality is that we are too far away to make flights of fancy.

"We need to sweat every game, like we did today, and grow."

Having led Juventus, Chelsea and Inter to league titles soon after taking the reins, Conte knows there are grand expectations around his Napoli tenure but says they are in the early stages of a major rebuild.

"Not even three months have passed, the president [Aurelio De Laurentiis] is the first to have spoken of a total reconstruction," he added.

"[Victor] Osimhen and [Piotr] Zielinski left while I hear people talking about certain things.

"I know that there are high expectations for me because I have done important things. Let's let the fans dream, but I have to keep my feet on the ground.

"I hear people talking who know nothing about Scudettos. We have to speed up to get Napoli where they deserve to be, which is not in 10th place."

Antonio Conte left Juventus "moderately satisfied" with Napoli's goalless draw on Saturday but stressed the need to make the most of attacking opportunities.

Napoli arrived in Turin on the back of a three-match winning streak in Serie A but fell short of capitalising on several good chances.

Conte's side came closest to snatching a winner, with Scott McTominay's long-range shot pushed away by Michele Di Gregorio in the first half before Romelu Lukaku failed to pounce on the rebound.

The former Inter, Chelsea and Tottenham head coach acknowledged a hard-fought point, though still saw room for improvement at Allianz Stadium.

"I realise the difficulty of getting a draw away to Juventus, a team that was 18 points away from Napoli last season," Conte told DAZN.

"We worked on this system, I am moderately satisfied with the defence, but we could’ve done far better in attack and I think we had the clearest scoring opportunities."

Striker Lukaku struggled against Juve, failing to have a single shot and managing just 18 touches before being substituted in the closing stages.

"I think we did it well with the midfielders. Romelu still needs to get into the kind of shape that I require," Conte said.

"I had asked for consistency and it was a good performance in terms of focus, but we can and must do better when we have the ball, as there were some favourable situations."

Reflecting on his past tenure at Juve from 2011 to 2014, Conte acknowledged the challenge of playing at Allianz Stadium.

"I know it is not easy to play here, which is why I made this stadium a fortress during my time," he concluded.

Napoli host Monza in next round of games after they face Palermo in the second round of Coppa Italia on Thursday.

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.