Atalanta will pose problems, but Bergamasco’s team is in decline.
Juve stopped reigning Europa League winner
The Gasperini boys ended 2024 badly and started 2025 badly. In the last match of December, the team shared the points with Lazio – 1:1, although the guests looked much sharper than the Romans. The Eagles even forced Atalanta to retaliate – the Bergamos only escaped in the 88th minute.
A few days later, we left for Saudi Arabia, where the Italian Super Cup was being played. There, Inter have already beaten Atalanta. The Bergamasques tried to impose their football on their opponents, but the Nerazzurri easily broke the opposing pressure with quick lunges and long passes.
After that, two more draws in the league, now with Udinese and Juventus. The Turin team also forced the Bergamasco team to come back – Kalulya scored in the 54th, and in general the match went more according to the guests’ scenario. At the same time, Gasperini’s team was still waiting for the moment when the opponent lost concentration – Retegi equalized in the 78th minute.
The Bergamasques are not failing – but the series without victories gives rise to certain reflections.
We must fight the buyers
Atalanta needs depth on its bench to maintain its level. At the same time, there are almost no rumors about the search for reinforcements – but there is a risk of losing one of the leaders. You must closely monitor the attack group. Lookman, de Ketelare and Retegi had great chemistry. Everyone can decide the outcome of the episode, everyone has become the full leader of the Bergamasques. If the European giants are interested in one of these three elements, no one will be surprised. For example, Juventus are already interested in Mateo.
But there is also interest in other Atalanta players. Particularly resistant to midfielder Ederson. The Brazilian has a contract until 2027, but, according to rumors, he will not extend it. The Bergamasques want to make money on the player during the next transfer windows. The same people from Turin are ready to help; there is also an option with Real Madrid and Manchester City. For everyone, the price is 60 million euros. It is important to postpone the separation until the summer – the same “townsmen” now need a player in the center of the field, but Atalanta cannot lose its leader at the height of the season.
The Neapolitans return to form
Naples experienced a period of withdrawal after a successful start. If in the first rounds the team tore everyone apart, at the beginning of November, it slowed down. The reason was the schedule: we had to play back to back with two competitors in the championship race: Atalanta and Inter. Conte’s boys lost to Bergamasco and are tied with the Nerazzurri.
A month later, Lazio suffered two defeats in a row: the Romans, in addition to the championship match, won the cup match. In this context, Naples fell back into the top three and let Atalanta pass. But Conte remains an experienced manager. The specialist was able to prepare the team for the next period – and now, after five consecutive days, the Neapolitans have not lost any points.
Learning to live without Khvicha
Now the main goal of the coach is to teach the team to cope without Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Neapolitans lost one of the leaders of the attack, who controlled the game, was not afraid to dribble and overall did it very successfully. The footballer was contacted during the winter transfer window PSG.
The player’s team had previously had disputes with the club over a new contract; the player wanted to take a step forward in his career. It was reported that by December the parties had made progress in negotiations, but the Parisians were more persistent. IN PSG Khvicha’s salary will increase five times compared to Napoli’s – the Italians themselves will receive 70 million euros in three stages.
Anguissa and Lukaku are at their peak
The Neapolitans found leaders who helped prevent decline. Among them is the team’s new arrival, Romelu Lukaku. It has long become clear that he is more comfortable in the Italian Championship than in nuclear submarine. Here he was good, both at Inter and in Rome. He is now showing his level for Napoli – and again under Conte’s leadership. Romelu scored against Udinese in the winning period, assisted in the match with Verona and scored a goal + assist against Fiorentina.
Zambo-Anguissa continues to open up in the offensive phase. In this phase of the game, they started to trust him more last season – now his stats are even better. The Cameroonian has four goals in 20 league matches, including three in the last five rounds.
A new turning point in the championship race
Closer to December, Atalanta unexpectedly took the lead. Napoli sank, Inter were just starting to gain momentum after a poor start – the Bergamos had the same problems, but they got on board quicker. At the same time, Antonio Conte managed to interrupt the decline of time – otherwise Naples would not have returned to the race.
The Bergamo team could not maintain the pace they had set for long and started making mistakes. Now, Napoli are back in the lead in Serie A. Only the pursuers have come closer. And it is even more dangerous because Inter are breathing down our necks. The Milanese are three points behind, but they have a game in hand.
Bad statistics at home
Atalanta have won the last two meetings with Napoli – but both were away. At home, the Bergamo team and the Neapolitans are much less fortunate. The team has lost three games in a row at their home stadium, and the last victory dates back to February 2021.
Forecast Football.ru : In November, Atalanta’s victory was a surprise: the Neapolitans were going full speed ahead, and suddenly they got 0:3. This time, the Bergamasques are marking time, while Naples is gaining momentum. Let’s bet on the victory of the guests.
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