Not the start Napoli were hoping for. The reigning Serie A champions fell 2-0 to third-tier side Arezzo in their first pre-season friendly, with a goal in each half sealing the upset for Cristian Bucchi’s men. Pattarello opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Lang was fouled in the box—Meret got a hand to it, but couldn’t keep it out. Then, in the 90th minute, Varela punished a costly defensive error by Mazzocchi to double the lead.
It’s only the first match of the summer, but a loss still stings. Head coach Antonio Conte was without McTominay (muscle fatigue), Politano (muscle strain), as well as injured newcomers Buongiorno and Gilmour. The manager rotated two different lineups, with Anguissa the only player to feature beyond the hour mark (68 minutes).
Napoli lined up in a 4-3-3 for the first half, with four of their five new signings starting: Lucca led the line, De Bruyne played as a box-to-box midfielder, Lang operated on the left wing, and Marianucci partnered Juan Jesus in central defence. De Bruyne was the standout early on, trying his luck several times in the opening half hour. Lucca had a golden chance before the break but failed to convert.
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In the second half, Napoli switched to a 4-2-3-1. Beukema made his debut at centre-back alongside Rrahmani, while Neres looked the most dangerous. The Brazilian hit the post, attempted an overhead kick, and repeatedly got to the byline—only to find no one on the end of his crosses.
Next up for Napoli is a friendly against Catanzaro on Saturday at 6pm. Conte’s men will be hoping for a sharper display.
