Atalanta vs Napoli – Preview, H2H, Line-ups, Prediction | Serie A 2021-22

Koulibaly-Napoli

Napoli will continue their quest for the Serie A title when they travel to Bergamo this Sunday to face top-four chasing Atalanta.

Venue: Gewiss Stadium (Bergamo)

Key Statistics

Atalanta have lost just one of their last seven games in all competitions (W5, D1).

They have kept three clean sheets in a row ahead of this game. 

The hosts have won more points away from home (33) than at home (18).

Napoli have conceded just 11 goals away from home this season (the feast goals conceded in the league).

The visitors are unbeaten in their last nine competitive away games. 

They have not conceded over one goal in their last eight away games. 

Atalanta have found the net in 22 of their last 25 encounters with Napoli.

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has bagged a brace in his last two Serie A matches, with nine of his 15 goals this season coming away from home.

Head to head

Atalanta have enjoyed superiority in this fixture in recent times, as they have won each of their last three head-to-head meetings with Napoli. But over the last 15 meetings between both sides, Napoli have fared a bit better with five wins and eight losses (D2). 

Latest performances in all competitions

Atalanta: W-W-D-W-L

Napoli: W-W-L-W-L

Atalanta

Atalanta will continue their pursuit of a top-four finish this season when they welcome Napoli to Gewiss Stadium on Sunday.

The Blue and Black of Bergamo were once looking well on course for a fifth top-four finish in six seasons, but have fallen off the pace in Serie A (SA) after a poor run of results in 2022 (W3, D4, L3). 

Amongst the more disappointing results was a 0-0 home draw against relegation battlers Genoa before the international break. But they did follow that draw up with a laborious 1-0 win over Genoa, moving them to sixth place, level on points with AS Roma who have played a game more.

For all their struggles, the hosts have shown a similar ability to grind out results when needed though, winning three of their previous four fixtures by a one-goal margin. 

They’ve also won their last three battles against Napoli and will fancy their chances of getting a good result on this occasion. With fourth-placed Juventus leading them by eight points with nine matches to play, Gian Piero Gasperini will be desperate to win here to keep their slim chances of breaking into the top four alive. 

Possible Atalanta starting line-up

Juan Musso;, Berat Djimsiti, Merih Demiral, Jose Luis Palomino; Joakim Maehle, Remo Freuler, Marten De Roon, Giuseppe; Ruslan Malinovskyi, Jeremie Boga; Luis Muriel.

Injured: Duvan Zapata, Bryan Cabezas, Rafael Toloi

Doubtful: Josip Iličić

Suspended: None 

Napoli 

Napoli will look to continue where they stopped just before the international break when they travel to Bergamo on Sunday.

The title-chasing visitors won two of their last two games before the break, beating both Verona and Udinese 2-1 apiece to keep themselves within three points of the top of the table where AC Milan are currently occupying.

However, Luciano Spalletti’s side have been showing signs of defensive porousness as they have kept no clean sheets in eight competitive matches. The Italian manager will be hoping his side can put up a more resolute display as he seeks just his second win over Atalanta in his last nine personal encounters (D4, L4).

But with their hosts struggling at home this season, the visitors’ away form could tip the scales in their favour, as only leaders Milan have picked up more points on their travels than Napoli, who have also scored first in a league-high 12 of their 15 Serie A away games this campaign. The return of hero Victor Osimhen – which Spalletti claims to have affected the title race–will also boost Napoli’s chances of taking maximum points from this game as they aim to keep pace with AC Milan at the top of the table. 

Possible Napoli starting line-up

David Ospina, Alessandro Zanoli, Kalidou Koulibaly, Juan Jesus, Mario Rui; Stanislav Lobotka, Diego Demme, Matteo Politano, Elif Elmas, Lorenzo Insigne; Victor Osimhen.

Injured: Alex Meret, Andrea Petagna, Piotr Zielinski, Giovanni Di LorenzoGiovanni Di Lorenzo

Doubtful: Adam Ounas

Suspended: None 

Prediction

Atalanta 1-2 Napoli