Atalanta’s bid for a first Serie A title continued on Saturday with a club-record 10th straight league win, 1-0 at Cagliari, which was followed by closest challengers Napoli staying on their heels with a 3-1 win at Udinese.
Nicolo Zaniolo made sure Atalanta stayed top of Serie A this weekend with the goal which decided a hard-fought encounter in Sardinia, the Italy international forward stroking home the winner from Raoul Bellanova’s cut-back in the 66th minute. Atalanta, guided by veteran coach Gian Piero Gasperini, have emerged as genuine Scudetto challengers for the first time in their history and stay two points clear at the top of the league.
However, Gasperini was not happy with his players’ performances as, after impressing in Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid, they struggled against Cagliari who are 15th and only two points above the relegation zone. Atalanta, who also struck the post through Ademola Lookman almost straight after Zaniolo’s winner, only came away with all three points thanks to a brilliant performance between the sticks from Marco Carnesecchi.
Goalkeeper Carnesecchi pulled off three sensational stops in the six minutes before the break and saved the win in stoppage time by keeping out Leonardo Pavoletti’s header. Zaniolo’s strike was his third of the season and a further sign of new life after a difficult last few years.
The 25-year-old was once the rising star of Italian football after coming to prominence at Roma, where two serious knee injuries in 2020 stymied his development as a creative playmaker. He won the inaugural Europa Conference League with Roma in 2022 under Jose Mourinho, but fell out with the Portuguese coach and last year was packed off to Galatasaray, from where he was loaned to Atalanta in July.
Napoli, missing injured star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, came back from a goal down to secure the three points.
Trailing at the break after Florian Thauvin netted on the rebound from his own saved 22nd-minute penalty, Napoli roared back in the second half. Romelu Lukaku levelled five minutes after half-time, bursting through to collect Scott McTominay’s pass, holding off Lautaro Giannetti and firing in his sixth Napoli goal.
The unfortunate Giannetti inadvertently put Napoli ahead in the 76th minute when he shinned in David Neres’ miscued shot and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa sealed the points by coolly finishing off a fine team move. Napoli are four points ahead of Lazio and third-placed Inter, who face off in Rome tomorrow night, and Fiorentina with the Viola at Bologna. Juventus are 10 points behind Atalanta ahead of their home clash with bottom club Venezia.