Bologna could not ´raise our level´ in Supercoppa defeat, Italiano concedes

Vincenzo Italiano conceded Bologna were unable to “raise our level” during their Supercoppa Italiana final defeat by “fantastic” Napoli.

The Coppa Italia holders were beaten 2-0 in Riyadh, with David Neres scoring in each half for last season’s Scudetto winners.

Bologna were making their first appearance in the competition but, after beating Inter on penalties in the semi-finals, they suffered their first-ever defeat in a single-match showpiece.

Italiano could not fault the Rossoblu’s efforts but acknowledged they were second-best against the Partenopei.

“We tried to do everything we possibly could this evening against a team that overperformed, with Neres having an amazing game,” Italiano told Sport Mediaset.

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“Napoli put in a fantastic performance. We gave everything we had, but were unable to raise our level to match them. It’s a pity, but these are the games that help a team grow.

“It’s a pity, but we lost to a truly great performance from our opponents. I have no regrets tonight, because the lads gave their all.”

Napoli’s title-clinching second goal came after Neres intercepted Federico Ravaglia’s loose pass intended for defender Jhon Lucumi, with the forward subsequently clipping the ball over the goalkeeper.

However, Italiano leapt to the defence of his shot-stopper.

“Ravaglia did great things in the previous game [against Inter],” the Bologna boss added.

“He had a hiccup, but that changed nothing. He cares so much about this club, it’s like he has the Bologna colours tattooed on his skin.

“It’s never easy to reach the final. We work on those errors, so that we can improve in the future.”