Heavy legs as Arezzo win, bitter debut for Italian champions | OneFootball

The last defeat dates back to Como in the championship on February 23. We could say it was in the air, considering the intensive workload the group is facing without breaks, with morning and afternoon training sessions for six consecutive days.

The legs are heavy, Arezzo takes advantage and wins. Bitter debut for the champions

The legs, burdened from the early days of training camp, made themselves felt. First minutes in the blue jersey for Beukema, Lucca, Marianucci, Lang, and De Bruyne.

Antonio Conte is probably not happy, nor are the players, who would have certainly preferred a different debut, especially with the championship badge on their jerseys, a packed stadium (2,200 spectators), and De Bruyne on the field. However, there will be no drama regarding this defeat. It can happen, even if there is a difference in category and you are champions. The fatigue and toxins accumulated in this initial preparation phase, between repetitions and kilometers covered, weighed on the legs and burdened the minds during the finishing touches, shots, and some interventions. Varela's goal in the 90th minute, resulting from an error by Mazzocchi in a two-on-one situation, is evidence of this.

During the first half, we noticed some moments of high class from De Bruyne and Lang, the latter being the protagonist of the awarded penalty. Hasa showed good performances in midfield, while Lucca appeared rather in difficulty. Arezzo, led by former blue Christian Bucchi, maintained a good pace of play, knowing how to take advantage of the heavy legs of KdB and his teammates.

In the second half, Napoli made a massive turnover, with almost the entire team on the bench entering the field. Despite the immediate impact of Neres, who showed good physical form through dribbles and shots, Napoli struggled to find rhythm against a well-organized opponent. It was Neres himself, with a bicycle kick, who almost equalized in the 78th minute, while the Tuscans even found a 2-0 at the end of the game with Varela. Napoli will return to the field on Saturday, again in Dimaro against an opponent on paper even more challenging: Catanzaro, fresh from a brilliant Serie B championship.

Scorers: 38' pen. Pattarello, 90' Varela

NAPOLI (4-2-3-1): Meret (46' Contini); Di Lorenzo (46' Mazzocchi), Marianucci (46' Rrahmani), Juan Jesus (46' Beukema), Olivera (46' Spinazzola); Anguissa (68' Vergara), Hasa (46' Lobotka), De Bruyne (46' Raspadori); Zanoli (46' Neres), Lucca (46' Lukaku), Lang (46' Zerbin). Coach: Conte.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.