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Napoli logo
Serie A | Gameweek 30
Mar 30, 2024 at 11.30am UK
Stadio Diego Armando Maradona
Atalanta logo

Napoli
0 - 3
Atalanta


Osimhen (38'), Di Lorenzo (84')
FT(HT: 0-2)
Miranchuk (26'), Scamacca (45'), Koopmeiners (88')
Kolasinac (54'), Koopmeiners (82')

Preview: Napoli vs. Atalanta BC - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Serie A clash between Napoli and Atalanta BC, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Both back from the international break with securing a top-six finish on their mind, Napoli and Atalanta BC meet at Stadio Maradona on Saturday.

Italy's outgoing champions sit two points behind La Dea in the race for European qualification, having played one game more, but they seem to have turned a corner under new management.


Match preview

Juan Jesus in action for Napoli in March 2024© Reuters

Last season's Scudetto winners grudgingly passed the baton to Serie A's champions-elect Inter Milan just before international football intervened, as Napoli fought back to earn a 1-1 draw at San Siro.

Ex-Inter defender Juan Jesus scored the Partenopei's late leveller, but his post-match accusation of racist language from Francesco Acerbi was recently denied by Italian football's sports judge - in protest, Napoli will not wear the regular 'Keep Racism Out' badge this weekend.

Despite being knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona, the Campanian club have experienced something of a revival under interim manager Francesco Calzona, who is back in Naples on a short-term contract before steering Slovakia through Euro 2024 in the summer.

Though still 31 points adrift of Inter in the Serie A standings, Napoli have suffered just one loss from seven since Calzona took the reins, and they are enjoying their best unbeaten run in the league since early last year, when they put together eight straight wins en route to the title.

Under three different head coaches, they have struggled to match expectations on home turf this term, but the Partenopei will now be aiming to prolong a seven-match streak without defeat at Stadio Maradona, which dates back to December.

Napoli have won their last four league matches against Atalanta, including this season's 2-1 victory in Bergamo, so securing a win that takes them above their opponents in the table is the hosts' main target on Saturday.

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini on January 10, 2024© Reuters

Atalanta last kicked a ball in Serie A some three weeks ago, as a tragic event saw their most recent fixture postponed shortly before kickoff; Fiorentina director Joe Barone was taken ill and rushed to hospital, so the game was called off. Not long after, news emerged that he had passed away.

Therefore, the last time La Dea saw competitive action was a comeback win over Sporting Lisbon in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, when second-half strikes from Ademola Lookman and Gianluca Scamacca secured both a 3-2 aggregate success and a mouthwatering quarter-final against Liverpool.

Gian Piero Gasperini's side have, however, accrued just two points from their last four league matches and are now in danger of going five games without a Serie A victory for the first time since February 2022.

Occupying sixth place with 10 games to play, Atalanta sit seven points adrift of fourth-placed Bologna and four behind rejuvenated Roma; fifth place could yet be enough to secure a slot in next year's expanded Champions League, though, and they have one game in hand on everyone except Fiorentina.

In addition to their rescheduled league contest against the Viola, La Dea must soon tackle the Tuscan team twice in a two-legged Coppa Italia semi-final, the first leg of which comes at Stadio Franchi next Wednesday.

Napoli Serie A form:


Napoli form (all competitions):


Atalanta BC Serie A form:


Atalanta BC form (all competitions):



Team News

Napoli's Victor Osimhen celebrates scoring their first goal on February 21, 2024© Reuters

After missing out on the game against Inter and Nigeria's recent internationals, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen will be back in action on Saturday afternoon, when he takes on one of his favourite opponents.

Last year's Capocannoniere certainly likes playing La Dea, having both scored his first Serie A goal against Atalanta in October 2020 and been directly involved in five goals from five meetings all told - he also set up the winner in November's reverse fixture.

However, the hosts' other star player, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, sustained a groin injury on Tuesday night while helping Georgia reach a first major finals via the Euro 2024 playoffs.

Meanwhile, Teun Koopmeiners and Ademola Lookman have been Atalanta's most prolific men in Serie A this season, netting 10 and eight times respectively.

Both should start at Stadio Maradona, though the former has been struggling with a calf problem picked up on international duty; Belgian forward Charles De Ketelaere is sidelined by 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; Koopmeiners, Lookman; Scamacca


SM words green background

We say: Napoli 1-1 Atalanta BC

Napoli have been below their best on home soil this term, while Atalanta rank just 10th for points won on the road in Serie A and are enduring a sticky patch. Therefore, just a second draw in 18 games between these teams in Naples could be on the cards.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


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Written by
Jonathan O'Shea

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Game History

How you voted: Napoli vs Atalanta

Napoli
69.4%
Draw
18.8%
Atalanta BC
11.8%
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Atalanta BC's Teun Koopmeiners reacts in September 2023
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Napoli22172337152253
2Inter Milan21155155183750
3Atalanta BCAtalanta22144448252346
4Lazio2212373830839
5Juventus22813135191637
6Fiorentina21106535221336
7AC Milan219753223934
8Bologna2181033327634
9Roma228683328530
10Torino226882326-326
11Udinese2275102534-926
12Genoa226882030-1026
13Como2257102736-922
14Empoli224992129-821
15CagliariCagliari2256112336-1321
16Parma2248102839-1120
17Hellas VeronaHellas Verona2262142548-2320
18Lecce2255121540-2520
19VeneziaVenezia2237122035-1516
20Monza2227132033-1313


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