Napoli manager Antonio Conte has admitted that early mistakes cost his side in their 2-1 Serie A defeat to AC Milan on Sunday at San Siro.

Milan struck twice in the first half through Alexis Saelemaekers and Christian Pulisic, putting the hosts in control before Kevin De Bruyne pulled one back from the penalty spot for Napoli after the break.

Speaking after the game, Conte pointed out that conceding an early goal tilted the balance in Milan’s favour. “It’s a pity we conceded so early; the team as a whole could have done better on both those situations,” the Italian told DAZN Italia. “Starting at San Siro and being a goal down after four minutes is not easy.”

Despite the setback, Conte was encouraged by Napoli’s pressing and creativity, but acknowledged that his side’s defensive lapses are becoming a concern. “We have been conceding too many goals lately. If you look at the two against Pisa and the two today, they are adding up,” he noted.

Napoli fought hard to get back into the game but struggled to convert their chances. Conte summed it up bluntly: “We made life difficult for ourselves at 2-0 down. We still pushed hard and created scoring opportunities, but you’ve got to finish them too.”