Atalanta made Napoli work for the win, but in the end the visitors were never going to survive 90 minutes of the Neapolitan storm. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Amir Rrahmani found the back of the goal in an important win for the Partenopei, who now set their sights on the Champions League. Here are three takeaways selected by Forza Napoli Press.
Midfield Masterclass
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa has been one of Napoli’ star performers throughout this golden season and Saturday was no different. The Cameroonian midfielder bossed the midfield once again, seemingly covering every blade of grass. Anguissa hardly missed a pass (89% pass accuracy) and the visitors struggled to get him off the ball. It took Anguissa time to return to peak form after the World Cup break, but his confidence is now sky high. Zambo made eight passes into the final third and completed all of his dribbles successfully. His play has justified management’s decision to extend his contract prior to the World Cup.
Kvarafavolosamente
By now, there’s no need to explain the class of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. However, that’s still what we’re going to do here. His drive towards goal was simply insane. Almost every touch was forward and he showed (yet again) that he’s not afraid to take a shot. Even when defender’s know what he’s going to do (or think they know), they can’t stop him. Just ask Rafael Toloi, who’s stilling trying to find the Napoli winger.
The drop of the shoulder, the composure, but above all, his calmness in front of goal, all came together when he opened the scoring against Atalanta. Victor Osimhen worked hard to win possession before picking out the Georgian in space. What happened next was just incredible. With two actions, Kvaratskhelia managed to send all Atalanta defenders the wrong way, opening up enough space to let fly. We’ve done the math: Kvara was surrounded by 8 (!) Atalanta players when he scored. He now has 11 goals and 9 assists in his debut Serie A campaign and 13 goals and 13 in all competitions.
The Eintracht Frankfurt defence certainly didn’t watch this match with smiles on their faces.
Stand-in Gollini
Alex Meret was supposed to start in goal against Atalanta. He was on the team sheet, pictured in the warm-up and displayed on all official team graphics. Much to everyone’s surprise, January signing Pierluigi Gollini walked out of the tunnel with the starting XI.
It was not the most difficult match of his life, but Gollini did well when called upon, showcasing his quick reactions. His biggest save came after 83 minutes, when Matteo Ruggeri fired on goal from close range. Gollini blocked the shot to protect the clean sheet. The performance further validates one of the strengths of this Napoli squad: at every position there’s at least two great players.
“I have always believed in my qualities. When you play in such a team, playing with these guys is rewarding and everything comes easy,” said Gollini to DAZN after the match. “It’s always special to make a debt, but doing it against Atalanta was a sign of destiny. Being part of this group helped me to have the match I did.”
The club later revealed that Meret was withdrawn for precautionary reasons after experiencing discomfort in his right wrist. Instrumental tests conducted on Sunday at the Pineta Grande clinic were negative. That leaves a question as to who will play against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday. In the meantime, Gollini showed with his play against Atalanta that he is ready if needed.
