Better late than never for Lang under Conte at Napoli

Napoli picked up an encouraging 3-1 win against Atalanta in Serie A on Saturday evening, and Football Italia expert Alfredo Pedullà explains that it is better late than never for the goalscoring Noa Lang to get going under Antonio Conte at the Maradona. 

Napoli returned to winning ways with a 3-1 win over Atalanta, and most importantly, impressed with their performance, largely thanks to a first-half performance in which they shattered La Dea. 

Put simply: Conte got the reaction he was looking for after going three games without a win prior to the international break. He was also able to move things around tactically and in terms of personnel, swapping to a 3-4-3, which got the best out of some of his summer signings. 

Sam Beukema had always been a top priority for Conte on the transfer market, and it was also good to see Lang take to the field after a frustrating few weeks for the Dutchman. 

For Conte, it’s not the past that matters. What is important, though, is how his players fit into the team. If they don’t, the only thing waiting for them is a place on the bench to keep warm. 

Lang, with his performance against Atalanta, gave the signals that the coach was looking for. His goal will do wonders for his self-esteem, and could help him take back a place in the Napoli starting line-up, albeit a few months later than expected.