´We believed to the end´ – Conte praises Napoli persistence after late win

Antonio Conte praised Napoli after his side “believed to the end” after their last-gasp victory over Cagliari.

The reigning Scudetto holders made it two wins from two in Serie A, as Frank Anguissa’s 95th-minute goal snatched a 1-0 win at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Napoli controlled large periods of the contest, enjoying over two-thirds of the possession, while registering 20 shots for an accumulative 1.7 expected goals (xG).

And Conte was pleased to see his players rewarded for their persistence.

“It was your typical game where you run the very big risk of defeat,” he told DAZN. “I would’ve even been happy with the 0-0 because we played as a real team, with patience, trying to find the way through.

“It felt like the goal was cursed. While Cagliari were very, very intense, I didn’t expect them to be this defensive. We did not allow them counter-attacks, which was the most important thing, as when you are dominating like that, you run the risk.

94:43 – The goal scored by Frank Anguissa (94:43) is the latest netted by Napoli on a 0-0 scoreline in a Serie A match since Opta started collecting this kind of data (from 2004/05 season onwards). Climax.#NapoliCagliari pic.twitter.com/irnazcG8Dn

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) August 30, 2025

“We are improving in terms of concentration and intensity, we believed to the end, and were rewarded with the winner 20 seconds from the end. I am very happy.”

Napoli are set to boost their attacking options with Rasmus Hojlund due to arrive on loan from Manchester United, while Eljif Elmas is reportedly nearing a return to the club from RB Leipzig.

Conte understands the need to increase squad depth, given his side’s return to the Champions League. They will face Manchester City in a mouthwatering clash on September 18.

“I’ve said that we signed players who can give us a hand for the present, and will be the future of Napoli, too,” he said.

“We have tried to grow and complete the squad because, last season, we didn’t have European competition, so we were based around 12 to 13 players.”