Atalanta handed Serie A leaders Napoli a 3-0 defeat on Sunday, ending their unbeaten streak since August 18. Ademola Lookman scored two goals for Atalanta, who aimed to disrupt Napoli’s hopes of extending their lead at the top of the table.
Lookman opened the scoring in the 10th minute, capitalizing on a header from Marten de Roon and converting from close range against Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret. He then doubled the lead with a curling shot just after the half-hour mark, drawing frustration from Napoli coach Antonio Conte, who criticized his defense for allowing Lookman space.
Despite a few opportunities, Napoli struggled to convert. Scott McTominay notably hit the post in their best chance of the match. Mateo Retegui sealed the victory for Atalanta with a third goal in injury time, marking his 11th of the season. With the win, Atalanta moved to 22 points, just three behind Napoli.
Lookman remarked, "We had a great match, bringing three points back from the league leaders is a great source of pride." Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini stated, "When you come to play in Napoli against a team that has had a great start to the season, you know that you have to have a great match. We are very satisfied."
Conte addressed the loss, saying, "We shouldn't be ashamed of this defeat; they have been playing together for a long time, they are better structured than us."
In another match, Inter Milan closed the gap on Napoli with a 1-0 victory over Venezia, thanks to a goal from captain Lautaro Martinez in the 65th minute, following a cross from Federico Dimarco. Venezia had a stoppage-time equalizer ruled out by VAR due to a foul by Marin Sverko.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi noted, "We clearly need to be more clinical; we shouldn't find ourselves in such a situation given the number of chances we had." He emphasized the competitive nature of the championship, stating, "This kind of victory can make the difference."
Next Sunday, defending champions Inter will face Napoli at the San Siro. Fiorentina also reached 22 points after Moise Kean scored in the 41st minute for a 1-0 win at Torino. Roma, on the other hand, suffered a 3-2 defeat to Verona, marking their third loss in four matches, leaving them 11th in the standings with 13 points. The pressure continues to mount on coach Ivan Juric, who replaced Daniele De Rossi in September.
