Napoli manager Antonio Conte said his side lacked hunger in the second half of their shock 2-1 defeat by promoted Como on Sunday which denied them the top spot in Serie A, but the Italian refused to blame his players.

It took less than a summer for Antonio Conte to guide Napoli back to prominence. One of the most successful European coaches of the last decade, Conte is a special manager and he showed it on the pitch as he was able to win almost everywhere he worked and in the shortest time possible.

While Napoli restored parity after centre-back Amir Rrahmani gifted the lead to Como in the seventh minute with an own goal, they looked far from their best after the break as winger Assane Diao nette

An Amir Rrahamani own goal had seen the Partenopei go down early in the game. This was followed by a Giacomo Raspadori equaliser in the 17th minute. But Assane Diao scored in the 77th minute and the goal proved to be the winner for Cesc Fabregas’ side, who continue to impress in the second half of the season.

Como lifted themselves seven points clear of the relegation zone with a 2-1 victory over Scudetto contenders SSC Napoli, who failed to overtake Inter Milan at the top of the Serie A table with this result at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.

Napoli manager Antonio Conte said his side lacked hunger in the second half of their shock 2-1 defeat by promoted Como on Sunday which denied them the top spot in Serie A, but the Italian refused to blame his players.