Football Italia
·18 de janeiro de 2025
In partnership with
Yahoo sportsFootball Italia
·18 de janeiro de 2025
Atalanta hope Mateo Retegui and Ademola Lookman can be decisive in this top of the table showdown with Romelu Lukaku and Scott McTominay’s Napoli.
It kicks off at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo at 19.45 GMT.
La Dea were the leaders for a few weeks, but after three consecutive stalemates find themselves four points off Antonio Conte’s side and behind Inter, who still have a game in hand.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s men remain unbeaten in 15 Serie A rounds, but are decimated in defence with Sead Kolasinac suspended, Odilon Kossounou, Juan Cuadrado and striker Gianluca Scamacca injured.
Mateo Retegui makes his return to the starting XI after the equaliser against Juventus, so leads the way with Lookman and Lazar Samardzic, leaving Charles De Ketelaere on the bench.
epa11698614 Atalanta�s forward Ademola Lookman scores a goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match SSC Napoli vs US Atalanta at Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, 03 November 2024. EPA-EFE/CIRO FUSCO
Napoli begin the post-Khvicha Kvaratskhelia era following his €70m plus bonuses transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, though he had already been left out of the most recent match anyway.
David Neres has comfortably slotted in to take his place in the trident attack with Lukaku and Matteo Politano, while McTominay continues to pull the midfield strings.
Alessandro Buongiorno is out for a while yet after hurting his back in training, so Juan Jesus is again in central defence, but Matias Olivera returns at left-back.
Atalanta: Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Hien, Djimsiti; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Samardzic; Retegui, Lookman
Napoli: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Neres