Manchester City maintained their advantage in the UEFA Champions League as a red card for Di Lorenzo disrupted Napoli's comeback efforts, according to manager Conte.
In a tightly contested Champions League match, Napoli faced Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium. Despite a valiant effort, Napoli succumbed to a 2-0 defeat, extending their winless streak against the English side to three games.
The game took a dramatic turn in the 21st minute when Napoli's Giovanni Di Lorenzo was shown a red card for a last-man foul on Erling Haaland. The referee initially turned down Napoli's appeals, but after reviewing the incident on the monitor, the decision was overturned, leaving Napoli to play the remainder of the match with ten men.
Antonio Conte expressed his regret over the red card, stating that it had ruined Napoli's chances in the return to the Champions League. He believed that the team could have done better defensively, conceding two goals.
Napoli's closest chance at scoring came in the form of Sam Beukema's header, but it was not enough to trouble Manchester United's goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma. In contrast, United managed an expected goals (xG) figure of 2.18 from their 23 attempts, while Napoli had an xG of 0.17 from their one attempt.
Manchester United's first goal came in the 37th minute, and it was Erling Haaland who scored his 50th Champions League goal in the match, reaching this milestone in just 49 games. The second goal was scored by Jeremy Doku in the 65th minute with a brilliant solo effort, increasing United's lead.
Kevin De Bruyne made his first appearance for Napoli, having recently switched from Manchester United. However, his game was cut short due to Di Lorenzo's red card, forcing Conte to reshuffle his team, with Mathias Olivera replacing De Bruyne.
Despite the defeat, Conte saw positives from Napoli's display against Manchester United and intends to use them for the remainder of their campaign. It is worth noting that Napoli have not won any of their 13 away games against English sides in Europe.
In a strange twist, the player who received three red cards for Napoli in the UEFA Champions League between 2011 and 2023 is not identified in the available search results. This fact, however, did not overshadow the disappointment of the loss against Manchester United.
As Napoli look ahead to their next match, they will undoubtedly aim to break their winless streak against English sides in Europe and secure their first victory against Manchester United.
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