After missing the nervy 1-1 draw against Serie A table toppers in Inter Milan due to injury, Victor Osimhen made his full injury return against Atalanta but it was marred with a big loss as they fall to a 0-3 defeat in front of their fans, Nigeriasoccernet.com writes.
For the first time since December 2021, La Dea defeated the Partenopei 3-0 in Serie A thanks to two defensive blunders by SSC Napoli. This result gave La Dea a five-point lead over their rivals in sixth place who are chasing them in Europe.
After a 17-day gap without a competitive match, Atalanta showed no indications of rustiness, and after only three minutes, La Dea nearly had the ideal start. Aleksei Miranchuk was set up by Mario Pašali's deft through-ball, and his low shot went past Alex Meret and struck the post.
After the early let-off, Napoli had a lot of possession of the ball, and Victor Osimhen of Nigeria almost scored his first goal at home since February when he dived to stop Giovanni Di Lorenzo's hooked cross, but Marco Carnesecchi of Atalanta stopped the shot.
Gian Piero Gasperini's team found the ideal mix between attack and defense to clinch the first SA victory since mid-February. Atalanta was merciless with their opportunities. Napoli's six-game winning streak under new boss Calzona comes to an abrupt end against Atalanta, and the Partenopei now have their work cut out for them if they want to play in Europe next season.
Up next for Osimhen and Napoli is an away trip to Monza which is scheduled to take place on 7th April.
By Olaleye Oluwadamilola