MILAN — Napoli solidified its aspirations for the Serie A title with a notable comeback against one of its significant competitors on Saturday.
The team, managed by Antonio Conte, triumphed 3-2 against Atalanta, a squad that had remained unbeaten since September. This victory allowed Napoli to extend its lead to six points over second-place Inter Milan.
While Inter has two games in reserve, they are set to face the struggling Empoli on Sunday. Atalanta, despite the loss, holds the third position in the league but now finds itself trailing Napoli by seven points.
Atalanta entered the match aware that a victory could greatly enhance their own title ambitions. The team had gone 15 league matches without a defeat; however, they have recently struggled, managing to secure draws in their last three encounters.
The match kicked off with Atalanta striking first in the 16th minute, thanks to a powerful finish into the top left corner from Mateo Retegui, who returned to the starting lineup following his injury.
Napoli answered back just 11 minutes later as Matteo Politano found the equalizer in a matching display of precision. Before halftime, Scott McTominay turned the tide in favor of Napoli, scoring five minutes before the break.
After the interval, Ademola Lookman netted an impressive solo goal, evading one defender and holding off several Napoli players before scoring in the far bottom corner, leveling the score again ten minutes post-break.
The decisive moment of the match came when Romelu Lukaku headed in the winning goal for Napoli 12 minutes from the end, ensuring a vital three points.
In another match, Tim Weah scored against the club where his father, former world player of the year George Weah, once played, as Juventus defeated AC Milan 2-0. This win marked Sérgio Conceição’s first defeat as the head coach of the Rossoneri.
Weah, who came on for the injured Kenan Yildiz at halftime, placed Juventus ahead 2-0 with his goal in the 64th minute, following Samuel Mbangula’s opener five minutes prior.
Conceição had previously begun his tenure with three victories and a draw in four matches, including a win over Juventus in the Italian Super Cup semifinals earlier this month. As a result of this latest win, Juventus climbed up to fourth place, now six points ahead of eighth-place Milan.
Bologna also made strides in the league by moving up to sixth place after defeating bottom-dwelling Monza 3-1.
