Napoli and Atalanta BC reconvene following the international break, with both teams setting their sights on securing a top-six finish in the Serie A standings. The forthcoming encounter is scheduled to take place at Stadio Maradona on Saturday.
Currently, Napoli, the outgoing champions of Italy, find themselves trailing Atalanta BC by a margin of two points in the pursuit of European qualification, albeit having played one additional fixture. Nevertheless, Napoli appears to have undergone a positive trajectory under their new managerial leadership, indicating a potential upturn in their performance.
Match preview
The reigning Scudetto champions reluctantly surrendered their title to Inter Milan, the presumptive champions of Serie A, just prior to the interruption of international football. Napoli managed to salvage a 1-1 draw at San Siro, with former Inter defender Juan Jesus scoring the late equalizer for the Partenopei. However, Jesus’s post-match allegation of racist remarks from Francesco Acerbi was recently refuted by the sports judge of Italian football. As a form of protest, Napoli has decided not to display the customary ‘Keep Racism Out’ badge during the upcoming weekend’s fixtures.
Despite being eliminated from the Champions League by Barcelona, Napoli has undergone a resurgence under interim manager Francesco Calzona. Calzona, who is currently serving on a short-term contract before leading Slovakia through Euro 2024, has guided the Campanian club to just one defeat in seven matches since taking charge. Napoli is currently enjoying their longest unbeaten run in the league since early last year when they secured eight consecutive victories en route to the title.
While struggling to meet expectations at home under three different head coaches this season, Napoli aims to extend their unbeaten streak to seven matches at the Stadio Maradona, dating back to December. With a successful history against Atalanta, including a 2-1 victory earlier this season, Napoli’s primary objective on Saturday is to secure a win that would propel them above their opponents in the league standings.
Atalanta’s last Serie A fixture took place approximately three weeks ago, as a tragic incident led to the postponement of their most recent match against Fiorentina. The sudden illness and subsequent passing of Fiorentina director Joe Barone prompted the cancellation of the fixture. Atalanta’s last competitive outing was a comeback victory over Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League last-16 tie, setting up a quarter-final clash against Liverpool.
Despite recent struggles, accumulating just two points from their last four league matches, Atalanta faces the risk of enduring a five-game winless streak in Serie A for the first time since February 2022. Currently occupying sixth place with 10 games remaining, Atalanta trails fourth-placed Bologna by seven points and rejuvenated Roma by four. However, securing fifth place could still provide access to the expanded Champions League next season, with Atalanta holding a game in hand on all teams except Fiorentina.
In addition to their rescheduled league encounter with Fiorentina, Atalanta must face the Tuscan side twice in a two-legged Coppa Italia semi-final, with the first leg scheduled at Stadio Franchi next Wednesday.
Team News
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who missed the recent game against Inter and Nigeria’s international fixtures, is set to return to action on Saturday afternoon against one of his preferred adversaries. Osimhen has demonstrated a penchant for facing Atalanta, having scored his inaugural Serie A goal against them in October 2020 and contributed directly to five goals across five encounters. Notably, he played a pivotal role in securing victory in the reverse fixture last November.
However, Atalanta faces concerns regarding another key player, as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sustained a groin injury while assisting Georgia in securing their first major finals berth via the Euro 2024 playoffs.
In contrast, Teun Koopmeiners and Ademola Lookman have emerged as Atalanta’s most prolific contributors in Serie A this season, with Koopmeiners finding the net 10 times and Lookman eight times. While Lookman is expected to feature at Stadio Maradona, Koopmeiners is grappling with a calf injury sustained during international duty and may be sidelined alongside Belgian forward Charles De Ketelaere, who is recovering from a thigh injury.
Napoli possible starting lineup:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Rui; Anguissa, Lobotka, Traore; Politano, Osimhen, Raspadori
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Holm, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri; Miranchuk, Lookman; Scamacca