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Antonio Conte warned that Napoli could miss European qualification despite a dramatic 2-1 victory at Verona in Serie A. Romelu Lukaku struck in the 96th minute after Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro cancelled out Rasmus Hojlund’s opener, keeping Napoli’s push for a top-four finish alive.

Lukaku’s decisive effort came at 95:11, the latest Napoli league goal since Frank Anguissa scored at 95:50 against Parma in August 2024. The Verona strike was also Lukaku’s first in 281 days, after a thigh injury sidelined the Belgian earlier this season.

Conte’s side kept a five-point cushion over fifth-placed Como, yet the head coach stressed that current standards are not enough. “This is a season that I will carry with me, because it is teaching me so much about how to deal with situations Id never experienced before, Conte told DAZN Italia.”

Napoli struggled in open play against Verona, despite dominating the ball. The visitors had 64.9% possession but produced only eight attempts, for a total expected goals figure of 0.85. Conte highlighted that the performance fell below expectations, even if the result eased immediate pressure.

Conte underlined how demanding the campaign has been, both tactically and personally. “This experience is improving me in so many ways. Dealing with all these situations is not at all easy. I feel that it is making me a better coach. We find a way to stay on our feet and find the right way through, not just on a football level, but as human beings too.”

Conte also described the wider context of Napoli’s Serie A challenge. “Its going to be a tough fight, we know that, because other teams are in better situations, while we are trying to get players back in shape. We know that we genuinely risk missing out on Europe entirely, we are scraping the bottom of the barrel here.”

Napoli’s coach still recognised the importance of the late win over Verona. “We did well to take the points home today, knowing that we can play much better than this.” Conte’s comments reflected relief at the result, yet also a clear message that improvement is required.

Key numbers from Verona highlighted both relief and concern for Napoli in Serie A.

Napoli Serie A fixtures and European push

Napoli now prepare for two home Serie A matches that could shape their European ambitions. Conte’s team host Torino and then Lecce at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Securing strong results in both fixtures would give Napoli a firmer hold on a European position.