Serie A Preview: Atalanta vs Napoli \u2013 Team News, Lineups & Prediction<\/p>\n
Atalanta\u2019s European ambitions will be on the line when they take on defending Serie A champions Napoli at the Gewiss Stadium today. Eight points separate the sides ahead of kick-off, with the hosts sitting five adrift of fourth-placed Roma.<\/strong><\/p>\n Raffaele Palladino\u2019s men have recently hit a purple patch, winning three of their last four league matches (D1), including a crucial 2-0 victory at Lazio a week ago. In doing so, La Dea have rekindled their hopes of securing a third consecutive top-four finish despite an underwhelming start to life without long-serving boss Gian Piero Gasperini.<\/p>\n However, Atalanta\u2019s spirits took a hit in midweek UEFA Champions League action, as Borussia Dortmund beat them 2-0 at Signal Iduna Park in the first leg of their knockout playoff tie. Nevertheless, a return to Serie A action can inspire confidence in Palladino\u2019s camp, with the Bergamo outfit emerging victorious from six of their last eight league games (D2).<\/p>\n On the other hand, Napoli ground out a 2-2 draw in last Sunday\u2019s Derby del Sole against arch-rivals Roma, with Brazilian youngster Alisson Santos scoring on his Serie A debut to help his side avoid defeat. Despite going unbeaten in their last three league games (W2, D1), Napoli\u2019s title hopes are dead in the water, as they already trail table-topping Inter by a whopping 14 points.<\/p>\n Antonio Conte\u2019s main assignment right now is to secure Champions League qualification. Even that\u2019s far from a foregone conclusion, given that fifth-placed Juventus sit only four points behind the Partenopei.<\/p>\n Atalanta<\/strong><\/p>\n Beating direct top-four rivals would significantly bolster Atalanta\u2019s quest to lock down Champions League qualification, and the Gewiss Stadium could form a perfect backdrop. Indeed, Palladino\u2019s charges have racked up an eye-catching eight wins across their last nine home outings in domestic competition, including five on the trot in the build-up to this showdown.<\/p>\n However, maintaining that imperious run of form would require Palladino to beat Conte for the first time, having lost all three previous managerial clashes against the 56-year-old. That could prove easier said than done, considering Atalanta\u2019s dreadful sequence of six defeats from their last eight meetings with Napoli (W2). It\u2019s also worth noting that those victories came on the road.<\/p>\n On the bright side, Atalanta\u2019s impressive first-half performances have seen them lead at halftime \u2018to nil\u2019 in their last six competitive home games across all competitions. With Atalanta failing to win all four home matches in Serie A when falling behind this season, another fast start could be crucial here.<\/p>\n Napoli<\/strong><\/p>\n If there\u2019s a side capable of matching Atalanta\u2019s standout first-half exploits, it\u2019s Napoli, who bagged 11 first-half goals on the road so far this season, with only Inter (12) scoring more in Serie A. Against this backdrop, Conte\u2019s men have failed to win three of their last four competitive games away from home (D2, L1), including an embarrassing 3-0 loss at fellow top-four rivals Juventus.<\/p>\n Conte will be confident of avoiding another embarrassment here, relying on his outstanding career record against Atalanta (W11, D3, L1). Furthermore, Napoli have won their last four away encounters against La Dea in Serie A, netting at least two goals on each occasion. But it\u2019s worth mentioning that they also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of those meetings.<\/p>\n Napoli must avoid conceding the opening goal if they\u2019re to extend their winning streak in Bergamo. Indeed, they\u2019ve suffered five defeats in seven away league matches when letting in the opener this term (W1, D1), highlighting their vulnerability when forced to chase the game on the road.<\/p>\n Atalanta cannot count on winter signing Giacomo Raspadori and star forward Charles De Ketelaere. Both are in the pits injured, meaning Palladino is likely to turn to Kamaldeen Sulemana and Nicola Zalewski to fill the void, with out-of-sorts Gianluca Scamacca expected to start from the bench.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, this fixture will come too soon for Napoli\u2019s long-term absentees, Kevin De Bruyne, Amir Rrahmani, and David Neres. Talismanic midfielder Scott McTominay and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo are also ruled out, with Elif Elmas and Miguez Gutierrez expected to take their places in the starting lineup.<\/p>\n Atalanta (3-4-2-1):<\/strong> Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Hien, Ahanor; Bellanova, Ederson, De Roon, Zappacosta; Sulemana, Zalewski; Krstovic.<\/p>\n Napoli (3-4-2-1):<\/strong> Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Jesus, Buongiorno; Gutierrez, Lobotka, Elmas, Spinazzola; Vergara, Alisson; Hojlund.<\/p>\n Failure is not an option for Atalanta here, but with Raspadori and De Keteleere unavailable for selection, scoring could be an issue for the hosts. Napoli, meanwhile, have shown resilience on their travels and boast the greater cutting edge in the final third, which could prove decisive in what promises to be a tightly contested affair.<\/p>\n With both sides aware of the stakes, expect a cagey encounter, but the visitors may just have enough quality to take three points.<\/p>\nMatch Preview<\/h2>\n
Team News<\/h2>\n
Atalanta vs Napoli Potential Starting Lineups<\/h2>\n
Atalanta vs Napoli Prediction<\/h2>\n