Clarence Seedorf insists Milan are in no mood to panic as they head into their third Serie A game of the season against Udinese tomorrow night.
The reigning champions suffered a demoralising 3-1 defeat to Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo late Sunday and Massimiliano Allegri’s team now face a tricky home game against the side who finished fourth last season and have taken maximum points from their two matches to date in the new campaign.
Dutch midfielder Seedorf told his club’s official website after the loss at Napoli: “We tried to get back into it, but we did not succeed. We have to congratulate Napoli.
“But let us go forward, there is still a long way to go, we are only at the second game. Of course, we are disappointed to lose points, especially at the start, but the team played well.
“It is a pity that we had to play Napoli straightaway, they have fantastic weapons on the counter-attack and that led to the second goal. We tried and pushed, so we cannot be too disappointed. On Wednesday, we expect another very tough team.”
Milan find themselves under early pressure after taking just one point from their opening two matches, the same tally as rivals Inter, who are away to newly-promoted Novara tonight.
Napoli are top going into the midweek round of fixtures and Edinson Cavani, whose hat-trick helped them come from behind to beat Milan, told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “We know what our flaws and our limits are and we know that we must work as we are doing now and do our best.”
Asked if this win indicated Napoli had sent out a strong signal that they could be championship contenders this season, Cavani added: “Maybe, but it is a very difficult tournament and on Wednesday we have a complicated game (at Chievo). “We must continue with this humility. We are happy for the victory and we hope to continue.”
Also on six points are Juventus, who are at home to Bologna tomorrow.
Their coach Antonio Conte has been delighted with the way his team have started the season, in particular their attitude to the games.
“We have yet to become a team, but I liked this Juve, we were good with just the right amount of malevolence and determination,” Conte told reporters after the 1-0 win at Siena on Sunday.
“This is a team that moves according to a precise idea and has a well-defined identity.”
Lazio have also taken only one point from a possible six despite an ambitious summer recruitment programme, with the club’s owner and president Claudio Lotito reported to have criticised the team in the dressing room after the defeat to Genoa on Sunday.
Under-pressure Edy Reja will be desperate for a first league win of the campaign when the Biancocelesti travel to Cesena.
Cagliari, who also possess a 100% record so far, will travel to Sicily to face Palermo while Fiorentina host Parma.
Genoa host Catania while Atalanta, who have already shaved four points off the six-point deduction with which they started the campaign, travel south to take on Lecce.
Roma face Siena at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday night.
Fixtures
Today: 20.45 Novara vs Inter.
Tomorrow: 20.45 Cesena vs Lazio; Chievo vs Napoli; Fiorentina vs Parma; Genoa vs Catania; Juven-tus vs Bologna; Lecce vs Atalanta; Milan vs Udinese; Palermo vs Cagliari.
Thursday: 20.45 Roma vs Siena.