Napoli suffered a decisive 3-0 defeat at their home ground by Atalanta in a Serie A fixture on Saturday, further complicating their pursuit of Champions League qualification. The Italian champions’ aspirations were dented as Atalanta secured their first league victory in five matches, propelling them to sixth place with 50 points. Napoli currently occupy the seventh position, trailing by five points with one additional match played.
Speaking to DAZN after the match, Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini expressed contentment with the team’s performance, stating, “If you win 3-0 in Napoli, you can only be satisfied. From the first half, we created a lot and controlled the game well. Napoli also created opportunities, but overall, we demonstrated superiority.”
Ahead of the kickoff, Napoli players demonstrated solidarity by kneeling in support of teammate Juan Jesus, following recent events involving racially charged allegations during a Serie A encounter involving Inter Milan’s Francesco Acerbi.
Napoli faced an early scare at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium when Aleksei Miranchuk struck the post within three minutes after receiving a precise pass from Mario Pasalic. However, Miranchuk found the mark in the 26th minute, capitalizing on a melee in Napoli’s penalty area to slot the ball home from close range.
Gianluca Scamacca extended Atalanta’s advantage just before halftime, capitalizing on defensive error by Napoli’s Jesus to fire a shot from the edge of the box into the bottom-left corner of the net.
Despite dominating possession, Napoli struggled to convert opportunities, particularly in the absence of playmaker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia due to injury. Although they hit the post twice in quick succession, Atalanta effectively sealed the victory with Teun Koopmeiners finding the net in the 88th minute.
Koopmeiners’ goal marked his 10th since the start of the year, bringing his season tally to 13.
Reflecting on the setback, Napoli coach Francesco Calzona acknowledged the diminishing prospects of Champions League qualification, emphasizing the need to focus on improvement and securing victories in upcoming fixtures.