At the Stadio Maradona in Napoli, the runaway Serie A leaders hosted Atalanta for the biggest showdown of Serie A Round 26. Following a cagey first half, the home crowd surely must have sensed a déjà vu from last weekend’s defeat to Lazio. Nevertheless, a brilliant piece of skill from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave the Partenopei the lead in the second period, while Amir Rrahmani’s header sealed the victory. So here are our player ratings for Napoli who extended their lead on top of the table to 18 points with a 2-0 win over Atalanta.
Napoli (4-3-3)
Pierluigi Gollini – 6
The Italian custodian’s rare cameo happened to be against his parent club. But besides a couple of routine saves, he had very little to do.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 6.5
A strong performance from the club captain who asserted his authority on the right flank, while linking up brilliantly with his teammates.
Amir Rrahmani – 7.5
A splendid showing from the former Verona man who prevailed in his personal duel against Duvan Zapata. Moreover, he headed Elmas’ cross home to secure the win with a second goal.
Kim Min-jae – 7
The South Korean was enjoying a solid performance, comfortably bullying Rasmus Hojlund and Luis Muriel, until he had to leave the pitch while carrying a knock, much to the concern of Napoli supporters everywhere.
Mathias Olivera – 6
A positive outing from the Uruguayan who contributed to the cause on both ends of the pitch.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa – 6.5
The former Fulham man was embroiled in a back-and-forth battle against Ederson. Won back a flurry of balls, including the one that culminated in the opener.
Stanislav Lobotka – 6
The Slovakian Regista wasn’t as influential as usual, with Mario Pasalic acting as his shadow and denying him space and time on the ball. But he still managed to connect with his teammates.
Piotr Zielinski – 5.5
An underwhelming outing from the former Udinese man who struggled to find space between the lines.
Matteo Politano – 6.5
The former Inter man managed to cause havoc for Atalanta on the right flank on a couple of occasions, delivering lovely crosses to the box.
Victor Osimhen – 6.5
The Nigerian left the pitch furiously after failing to extend his lead in the Capocannoniere standings, but it wasn’t a negative outing by any means. The former Lille man provided the assist for Kvara’s opener and almost scored a bicycle-kick.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 8
Sometimes, all that it takes is one moment of magic to settle the encounter. The Georgian had his highs and lows during the match, but he cemented himself as the ultimate star of the show with a stunning solo effort to break the deadlock. The 21-year-old dribbled his way into the box before unleashing an unstoppable rocket.
Substitutes
Tanguy Ndombélé – 5.5
Not a bad cameo from the Frenchman, but he still needs to leave a more significant mark if we wishes to stake a claim for a starting spot.
Eljif Elmas – 6.5
The North Macedonian proved why he remains the ultimate super-sub at Napoli, providing an exquisite cross for Rrahmani who nodded the ball home.
Juan Jesus – N/A
Giovanni Simeone – N/A
Alessio Zerbin – N/A
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