Allegri admits Napoli are under pressure after Venezia defeat

Massimiliano Allegri says Napoli are feeling the pressure after their 1-0 defeat by Venezia, while admitting his concern over their failure to convert chances into goals.

Venezia secured their first Serie A victory of the season as they condemned Napoli to a second consecutive defeat. The result came after Napoli’s Champions League loss to Villarreal and leaves Allegri’s side with five defeats in their opening nine matches in all competitions.

That is Napoli’s worst start in this regard since the 2001-02 season, when the club were competing in the second tier.

“We created a lot of chances, but we are being punished for the mistakes we make,” Allegri told DAZN.

Napoli also missed an opportunity from the penalty spot in the 68th minute, when Kevin De Bruyne’s effort was saved by Filip Stankovic.

Allegri said the team’s lack of efficiency in front of goal had become a significant concern, but maintained there was still time to correct the problem.

“Not taking these chances and scoring is worrying for us. We have to analyse this, but we have plenty of time to recover,” he added.

“There is no point worrying now. We have to continue doing what we are doing, but do it better.”

The defeat leaves Napoli on 10 points in ninth place, while Venezia moved on to three points but remain bottom of the table. Their victory also means every team in Serie A has now recorded a win this season.

The match marked the first appearance of Davide Nicola as Venezia’s manager, following the dismissal of Giovanni Stroppa because of a run of poor results.

Allegri also said he had not yet discussed the upcoming winter transfer window with the club’s president. Although he accepted that confidence within the squad was low, he called for a continued effort to change the team’s situation.

“I understand that morale is low, but we have to keep working to change this situation,” he said.

The Napoli manager acknowledged the psychological burden affecting his players and challenged them to respond with greater determination.

“The team is feeling the pressure mentally, but they need to show that determination and resolve,” Allegri said.