Napoli suffered a 2-0 defeat to Arezzo in their first pre-season friendly, despite giving new signings Kevin De Bruyne, Noa Lang, and Sam Beukema their debuts.
Napoli kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 2-0 loss to Arezzo in a friendly match at the Dimaro training camp. The Italian giants gave new signings Kevin De Bruyne, Noa Lang, and Sam Beukema their debuts, while Lorenzo Lucca also started the match.
Arezzo scored the opening goal when Lang brought down Pattarello in the box, and the Italian striker converted the penalty past Alex Meret. De Bruyne had a chance to equalize early on, but his shot flew over the bar after a nice assist from Alessandro Zanoli.
In the second half, Antonio Conte made 10 changes to the lineup, keeping only Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa in the starting XI. Sam Beukema got his debut, and David Neres was active, hitting the woodwork with an acrobatic finish and having two shots parried by the Arezzo goalkeeper.
Despite dominating possession, Napoli struggled to create clear-cut chances. Romelu Lukaku assisted Neres for a promising opportunity, but the Brazilian’s shot was saved. Arezzo sealed the win with a late goal when Varela pounced on a misplaced header from Pasquale Mazzocchi to score one-on-one.
The defeat will give Conte food for thought as he prepares his team for the new season. Napoli will look to regroup and work on their finishing and defensive solidity before the start of the Serie A campaign.
