Napoli has surged back to the top of Italy’s Serie A, reclaiming the provisional lead after a decisive 3-1 victory over Atalanta, propelled by a two-goal performance from forward David Neres.
The win on Saturday brought the defending champions to 25 points in the 12th matchday of the season. They now sit one point ahead of Inter Milan, who are scheduled to play against rival AC Milan on Sunday.
The victory also marked a return to winning ways for Napoli, ending a two-match streak without a win. The club aims to revalidate the Serie A title they secured in the 2024/25 season.
Former Benfica player David Neres opened the scoring in the 17th minute and added his second goal in the 38th minute. Lang extended Napoli’s lead further in the 41st minute.
Atalanta’s lone goal came in the second half from Scamacca. The match marked a losing debut for Atalanta’s new coach, Raffaele Palladino.
This was Atalanta’s third consecutive defeat, leaving them in a disappointing 13th place in the Serie A standings.
In other league action, Juventus drew 1-1 against Fiorentina, putting them on 20 points. This result could see Juventus overtaken by Como for sixth place in the league table. Francisco Conceição entered the match as a substitute for Juventus.
Cagliari and Genoa played to a 3-3 draw in a high-scoring encounter. Portuguese player Vitinha scored the first goal of the match for Genoa in the 18th minute.
Bologna continued its strong performance this season, securing a win against Udinese. This result maintains Bologna’s hold on third place in the championship standings.
Napoli has also faced Sporting in the Champions League and is set to play against Benfica in future fixtures.