Atalanta capitalized on defensive blunders from Napoli to secure a convincing 3-0 victory and open up a significant gap in the race for European qualification.
Atalanta started strong, nearly taking the lead within minutes. However, Napoli responded well, with Victor Osimhen threatening on a couple of occasions.
Unfortunately for the home side, their defensive frailties resurfaced. A series of mistakes gifted Atalanta two goals before halftime. First, Alex Meret failed to claim a cross, allowing Mario Pašalić to set up Aleksei Miranchuk for a tap-in. Minutes later, another defensive error from Juan Jesus gave Miranchuk space to find Gianluca Scamacca, who finished emphatically.
Napoli tried to fight back in the second half. Piotr Zieliński nearly pulled one back with a volley that rattled the post, and Osimhen spurned two golden opportunities. However, Atalanta remained a threat on the counter and sealed the win with Teun Koopmeiners’ late strike.
This result leaves Napoli with a lot to do in their pursuit of European football next season. Their new manager bounce under Francesco Calzona has come to a halt, and they now sit five points behind Atalanta in the race for sixth place.
Man of the Match: Aleksei Miranchuk (Atalanta BC)
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