Napoli bounced back from last weekend’s loss to Lazio to continue their apparent cruise towards the Serie A title with victory over Atalanta.
Luciano Spalletti’s side were kept quiet in the first half by an Atalanta side who defended in numbers.
But second-half goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Amir Rrahmani secured their 22nd league win of the season.
Napoli are now 18 points clear at the top of the table with 12 league games left. Atalanta sit in sixth.
Victor Osimhen, Serie A’s top scorer with 19 goals, twice came close to an opener after the break but saw a bicycle kick saved and a header fall inches wide of the far post.
He turned provider as Napoli found the breakthrough, snatching the ball off the visitors before threading through Kvaratskhelia, who weaved through the defence before rifling into the roof of the net.
Defender Rrahmani sealed the victory when he nodded home an Eljif Elmas corner to double Napoli’s advantage.
Atalanta are now winless in their last four games and have lost four of their last six.
Line-ups
Napoli
Formation 4-3-3
- 95Gollini
- 22Di Lorenzo
- 13Rrahmani
- 3Kim Min-jaeSubstituted forNunes Jesusat 76′minutes
- 17Olivera
- 99Zambo Anguissa
- 68Lobotka
- 20ZielinskiSubstituted forNdombéléat 66′minutes
- 21PolitanoSubstituted forElmasat 66′minutes
- 9OsimhenBooked at 18minsSubstituted forSimeoneat 85′minutes
- 77KvaratskheliaSubstituted forZerbinat 85′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Meret
- 4Demme
- 5Nunes Jesus
- 7Elmas
- 12Marfella
- 18Simeone
- 19Bereszynski
- 23Zerbin
- 31Zedadka
- 55Østigård
- 70Gaetano
- 91Ndombélé
Atalanta
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1Musso
- 2TolóiSubstituted forLookmanat 89′minutes
- 19DjimsitiSubstituted forDemiralat 44′minutes
- 42ScalviniBooked at 30mins
- 3MaehleSubstituted forZappacostaat 69′minutes
- 15de Roon
- 13dos Santos Lourenco da Silva
- 22RuggeriBooked at 15mins
- 88PasalicSubstituted forBogaat 68′minutes
- 17HøjlundSubstituted forMurielat 45′minutes
- 91Zapata
Substitutes
- 5Okoli
- 6Palomino
- 9Muriel
- 10Boga
- 11Lookman
- 28Demiral
- 31Rossi
- 57Sportiello
- 77Zappacosta
- 93Soppy
Live Text
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Match ends, Napoli 2, Atalanta 0.
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Second Half ends, Napoli 2, Atalanta 0.
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Attempt missed. André-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
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Eljif Elmas (Napoli) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Éderson (Atalanta).
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Alessio Zerbin (Napoli) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Jérémie Boga (Atalanta).
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Substitution, Atalanta. Ademola Lookman replaces Rafael Tolói.
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Foul by Eljif Elmas (Napoli).
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Luis Muriel (Atalanta) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Mathías Olivera (Napoli).
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Duván Zapata (Atalanta) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Alessio Zerbin (Napoli) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta).
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Substitution, Napoli. Alessio Zerbin replaces Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
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Substitution, Napoli. Giovanni Simeone replaces Victor Osimhen.
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Attempt saved. Matteo Ruggeri (Atalanta) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Duván Zapata.
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Corner, Atalanta. Conceded by Amir Rrahmani.
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Goal! Napoli 2, Atalanta 0. Amir Rrahmani (Napoli) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Eljif Elmas with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Napoli. Conceded by Giorgio Scalvini.
