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."

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's penalty was the difference as Napoli laboured to a 1-0 win at Empoli on Sunday to extend their lead at the top of the Serie A table.

Kvaratskhelia tucked away his spot-kick in the 63rd minute, Napoli's only shot on target over the 90 minutes and the first goal Empoli have conceded at home in the league this season.

Tino Anjorin was the player to concede the penalty, standing on Matteo Politano's foot inside the area on the Napoli winger's 300th Serie A appearance.

Empoli were left to rue missed chances in the first half when they were by far the better side, with Sebastiano Esposito going closest when his ferocious volley was kept out by Elia Caprile.

Caprile was also called upon to stop Giuseppe Pezzella's effort with his foot as Antonio Conte's men earned a scrappy win, their fourth in a row in all competitions.

Napoli moved on to 19 points, three ahead of Juventus in second with Inter third on 14 before they face Roma later on Sunday. Empoli are 11th with 10 points. 

Data Debrief: Kvara on the spot

Kvaratskhelia has scored four league goals this season, a tally only bettered by four players in Serie A – Marcus Thuram, Mateo Retegui (both seven), Christian Pulisic and Dusan Vlahovic (both five).

The Georgian has now scored three penalties in the competition overall, with each of those coming in away games. 

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 in the box, with Lukaku stepping up from 12 yards 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) with 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).

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."

Napoli moved top of Serie A following a routine 2-0 win over Monza at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

First-half goals from Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia did the trick for Antonio Conte's side, who leapfrogged Juventus to the summit of the table.

The hosts broke through in the 22nd minute as Politano rounded off a strong run by drilling a low shot beyond Stefano Turati in the Monza goal.

The visitors were then victims of their own downfall as Napoli doubled their lead 11 minutes later.

Turati pass out from the back went straight to Frank Anguissa, who then combined with Scott McTominay to set up Kvaratskhelia to volley home.

Though Monza improved in the second half, they were unable to truly trouble Napoli, who held out for the three points and their fourth clean sheet of the campaign.

Data Debrief: Politano matches Zapata and Dybala

Napoli are back at the Serie A summit for the first time since the final day of the Scudetto-winning season of 2022-23.

Politano got the ball rolling as he became one of only three players to score in each of the last 10 Serie A seasons, along with Duvan Zapata and Paulo Dybala.

Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead with what was his fifth direct goal involvement (three goals, two assists) of the campaign, a tally only bettered by AC Milan's Christian Pulisic (six).

The Partenopei have now gone 388 minutes without conceding a goal, and have recorded three successive clean sheets in Serie A for the first time since February 2023.

Cyril Ngonge scored twice in an electrifying performance, as Napoli breezed into the Coppa Italia last 16 with a crushing 5-0 win over Serie B Palermo on Thursday.

Ngonge struck first in the seventh minute with a left-footed drive that bounced in front of Salvatore Sirigu before squirming under his body into the net, leaving the goalkeeper shaking his head in disbelief.

Sirigu was at fault again five minutes later when Ngonge lashed another left-footer from a difficult angle, the ball flying across the face of the goal before nestling in the side netting to make it 2-0.

Palermo gave the hosts a scare as Matteo Brunori struck the post 29 minutes in, but Napoli were too big, too strong and too quick for their second-tier visitors, with Juan Jesus nodding home from a corner to make it 3-0 just before the break.

The visitors' hopes of a comeback were shattered when they were reduced to 10 men just before the hour mark. Aljosa Vasic was given a straight red card for dangerous play after catching Billy Gilmour in the face.

David Neres slotted home the fourth in the 70th minute, pressing to help win the ball back before coolly knocking into the net.

Scott McTominay then came off the bench to score with his first touch, rifling home a pass from fellow substitute Romelu Lukaku seven minutes later to complete the rout.

Data Debrief: A perfect performance

Conte's first game in charge was in the first round of this competition, and the Partenopei edged their way through with a penalty shootout win over Modena.

It was a totally different performance this time around though. They had 16 shots, seven of which were on target, accumulating just 1.55 expected goals. 

Ngonge's part was perhaps the most impressive - he scored with both of his shots, with those chances equalling just 0.09 xG, though he just could not snatch a hat-trick in the second half to round off a brilliant game. 

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.

Juventus head coach Thiago Motta was impressed by Napoli's courageous showing as the pair shared a goalless Serie A draw on Saturday.

Motta's team started their campaign with two convincing 3-0 wins against Como and Verona but have failed to score in the league since, recording three 0-0 draws so far in September.

The Napoli result marked just the fifth time Juventus have been held to three straight draws in Serie A history, with the last such instance coming in May 1992 under boss Giovanni Trapattoni.

It also proved just the second occasion this decade of Juventus failing to find the net for three games in a row in Serie A, along with a run between February and March 2011 with Luigi Delneri in charge.

Motta apportioned some credit to Antonio Conte's visitors, though was frustrated with parts of the hosts' showing.

"I expected this attitude, although they played at our home and I didn't expect them to be as courageous as they normally are," Motta said at the post-match press conference.

"[Whether it was] their strategy or our merit, we found ourselves with the team with a low defensive block in the penalty area and therefore difficult to attack.

"It's not a question of filling [the box] but of attacking it at the right time.

"We faced a team that knows how to defend the penalty area well. When a team closes up, it's not easy to score.

"In my opinion, we did better than in the match against Roma. Inside the box, it was difficult against a team that defends well. We had a good performance but not enough to win."

Juventus finished the game with only one shot on target and striker Dusan Vlahovic, goalless in his fourth consecutive game across all competitions, was substituted at half-time.

"It's difficult to win without scoring, we needed an extra contribution from us midfielders too," said Bianconeri midfielder Weston McKennie.

"[Vlahovic] won't be happy but the whole team must put him in a position to score."

Juventus travel to 11th-placed Genoa next Saturday before they visit RB Leipzig in the Champions League on October 2.

Juventus were held to another goalless draw in Serie A, this time by Napoli on Saturday, as Antonio Conte failed to get a win against his former club.

The hosts dominated possession throughout the game, with 64.7%, but offered little in front of goal as they look to end their domestic scoring drought.

Napoli came closest to snatching a winner, with Scott McTominay's long-range shot needing to be pushed away by Michele Di Gregorio in the first half before Romelu Lukaku failed to follow up. 

On the stroke of half-time, the goalkeeper was almost caught out by Matteo Politano's free-kick, but he tipped the winger's delivery over his crossbar.

Di Gregorio then leaped to deny winger Matteo Politano from a free kick in first-half stoppage time, diverting the shot with the tips of his fingers.

Kenan Yildiz managed Juventus' only shot on target of the game early in the second half, and Thiago Motta's men are fourth in the table on nine points, with Napoli one place above them.

Data Debrief: A subdued affair

The good news for Juventus is that their impressive defensive start to the season has continued as they registered a fifth-straight Serie A clean sheet.

However, that is their third consecutive 0-0 draw, experiencing such a run for the fifth time in their history in Serie A, and their first since May 1992 under Giovanni Trapattoni.  

While both sides created chances, they were few and far between - both teams had a shot on target a piece, while Juve only just slightly edged it on expected goals with 0.31 to Napoli's 0.27.

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.

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."