NAPOLI 2-0 ATALANTA: Kvaratskhelia showcase class in Thumping Victory for League Leaders
Napoli extended their lead at the top of the table after disposing of Atalanta at the Stadio Maradona with a stunning Kvicha Kvaratskhelia solo effort and Amir Rrahmani header.
The Partenopei were coming off their second defeat of the season, 1-0 at home to Lazio, with Mario Rui suspended, Giacomo Raspadori and Hirving Lozano injured.
Whereas La Dea had managed one point from their last three games, missing Teun Koopmeiners and Hans Hateboer while Giorgio Scalvini and Davide Zappacosta recovered. Alex Meret pulled out in the warm-up with a wrist issue, so Pierluigi Gollini started against his parent club.
Napoli Took Off Quickly
Matteo Politano’s low strike was palmed around the base of the upright by Juan Musso after a give-and-go with Piotr Zielinski in the 5th minute. Musso got his glove to a Victor Osimhen pull-back and parried the Politano strike that followed, but Atalanta lost Berat Djimsiti to a knee injury.
After the restart, Osimhen concluded a long period of possession with an acrobatic bicycle kick smothered by Musso, then the Nigerian’s glancing header wide on a short corner.
However, Napoli got their opener when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa won it back in midfield and Osimhen laid off for Kvaratskhelia, who put two defenders to the ground with a twist and turn until he could blast it into the roof of the net with his right foot from 12 yards.
Atalanta Stayed Defensive But Struggled
Musso became increasingly irritated with his teammates, as Osimhen almost intercepted a dangerous back-pass twice.
Later, Atalanta finally forced Gollini into saves on a Luis Muriel low drive at the near post and Duvan Zapata’s central header on the resulting corner.
Atalanta could have utilized the situation when Napoli’s in-form centre-back Kim Min-Jae went off with a right calf issue, but moments later Napoli doubled their lead with Amir Rrahmani’s looping header on an Eljif Elmas corner, though Musso perhaps mistimed the jump.
Atalanta tried their luck again in the 82nd minute but failed when their left-back Matteo Ruggeri stung Gollini’s gloves at the near post with a ferocious strike.
