Antonio Conte says the Scudetto race is “a good pressure” for Napoli to have, as they look to chase down leaders Inter.
The Partenopei are six points adrift of Simone Inzaghi’s side, who extended their advantage with a 3-1 victory over Cagliari on Saturday.
Nevertheless, Napoli can reduce the deficit to three points once more by beating relegation-threatened Empoli at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Monday.
Inter are looking to complete a treble this season, with the Nerazzurri also in the hunt to win the Coppa Italia and Champions League.
The Nerazzurri are currently the favourites to win Serie A, according to the Opta supercomputer, at 83.3%, with Napoli’s hopes of clinching the Scudetto sitting at 16.6%.
As a result, Conte believes his side are already performing beyond their expectations, as the battle for Serie A glory intensifies.
“We are the direct antagonists of Inter, and will try to do something extraordinary to put that pressure on them,” he told reporters during his pre-match press conference.
“It means we are doing remarkably well, in a situation where we are asked to go beyond our capabilities to keep up with a team that has proven it is built to win everything in Europe, too.
“It’s a good pressure to have. There is enthusiasm among the fans, the dream of competing for the Scudetto is firing them up. We earned this pressure, this battle of nerves, and we must also enjoy fighting for something important.
“The fans can sense that the team is going beyond its limitations, and that can only be appreciated.”
Standing in Napoli’s way on Monday is 18th-place Empoli, who are without a Serie A win this calendar year.
Nevertheless, Conte insists his side cannot take their opponents for granted, especially at such a crucial stage in the season.
“There are dangers in every game, as from now to the end of the campaign, every team has an objective it needs to achieve, whether it’s fighting for safety, a place in Europe or the Scudetto,” he added.
“We’ve been fairly consistent this season. There were spells where we had a run of consecutive victories, but the fact is that we are up there, which means our journey has been a very good one.
“Empoli will come here with knives drawn, so it is a very difficult fixture, as every point can be the difference between safety and relegation at this stage.
“It is always tougher in the second half of the season, because there is more strategic thinking, the games are less open. We’ve all studied each other carefully at this point.”
