Napolivs.Atalanta

After maintaining their lead at the top by beating AC Milan, the Partenopei take on opponents who have just posted a fourth league win on the spin.

Match preview

Tuesday's 2-0 victory in Milan surely confirmed Napoli as legitimate Scudetto contenders, with head coach Antonio Conte even admitting afterwards that his team were in great shape to challenge for the title.

Star men Romelu Lukaku and Khvicha Kvaratshkelia both struck during the first half to secure another success, pulling the Partenopei 11 points clear of their hosts in the standings - albeit having played one match more.

Napoli have now won five Serie A games in a row for the first time since a run of eight between January and February 2023, when they were on course for a remarkable first-placed finish under Luciano Spalletti.

After a year in the wilderness, Conte seems to have rekindled the fire once ignited by the current Italy coach, and only Barcelona have won more matches across Europe's top five leagues this season.

Having accrued maximum points from his first five home games in charge, Conte can now become the only manager in Napoli's long history to win each of his first six.

His team's 100% record at the Maradona may have been aided by a relatively soft fixture list so far, but Atalanta's arrival should put them through a much sterner test.

Against a very different Napoli side - in terms of cohesion, if not personnel - Atalanta ran out 3-0 winners on their last trip to Naples, having previously come away empty-handed from four straight Serie A meetings.

A few months later, the Bergamo club went on to lift the Europa League trophy, and after a shaky start to the current campaign they have since started living up to their enhanced reputation.

In midweek, La Dea climbed up to third spot in the table, overtaking Juventus via a 2-0 win over Monza, secured thanks to goals from Lazar Samardzic and Davide Zappacosta.

That success prompted long-serving boss Gian Piero Gasperini to acclaim his back-up players, with both scorers having emerged from the bench.

Atalanta had previously thumped Hellas Verona 6-1, and aside from a frustrating 0-0 draw with Celtic, they have been finding the net freely since the end of September - their top-flight average now stands at 2.6 goals per game.

After heading south to Campania, the Bergamaschi are then bound for Stuttgart, as they continue their quest for a top-eight finish in the Champions League: two tough tests will tell Gasperini plenty about his team's potential to win more trophies.

Napoli Serie A form:

D

W

W

W

W

W

Napoli form (all competitions):

W

W

W

W

W

W

Atalanta BC Serie A form:

L

D

W

W

W

W

Atalanta BC form (all competitions):

W

W

W

D

W

W

Team News

Only midfield fulcrum Stanislav Lobotka - who has recently been sidelined by a thigh strain - is unavailable to Antonio Conte this weekend, when Napoli may name an unchanged starting XI.

That would see Billy Gilmour join Frank Anguissa and Scotland teammate Scott McTominay midfield, with a familiar attacking trident ahead of them.

Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia should flank Romelu Lukaku, who is one of only two players - along with Atalanta's Ademola Lookman - to have both scored and set up at least four Serie A goals this season.

Meanwhile, the visitors are again without Marco Brescianini, who joins long-term absentees Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini in the treatment room.

Captain Marten de Roon will become La Dea's joint-top appearance maker in Serie A (281) when he strides out at the Maradona, most likely partnering Ederson in midfield.

Up front, Mateo Retegui has scored four goals in his first five away games, and the Italy striker is three clear atop the Capocannoniere rankings after 10 rounds.

Napoli possible starting lineup:

Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka; Politano, McTominay, Kvaratskhelia; Lukaku

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:

Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, Ederson, De Roon, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Retegui

We say: Napoli 1-1 Atalanta BC

Keeping a clean sheet in seven of their last eight matches, Napoli have recorded an aggregate scoreline of 18-1 during that time.

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