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Attendance: 19,098
Atalanta logo
Serie A
Jan 21, 2018 at 11.30am UK
 
Napoli logo

0-1

FT(HT: 0-0)
Mertens (65')

Dries Mertens strike helps Napoli win at Atalanta BC

Mertens strike helps Napoli beat Atalanta
© SilverHub
Napoli extend their lead at the top of the Serie A table to four points courtesy of a 1-0 win at Atalanta BC on Sunday, achieved thanks to a ferocious Dries Mertens strike.

Napoli have extended their lead at the top of the Serie A table to four points thanks to a 1-0 win at Atalanta BC on Sunday.

Dries Mertens was the matchwinner for the Partenopei, scoring in the 65th minute of the game with a ferocious effort from just inside the area.

The Campanians had lost three of their previous four meetings with Atalanta, including a Coppa Italia quarter-final on January 2, making this fixture a tense proposition for the tabletoppers.

Indeed, neither side could be separated in the first 45 minutes, the hosts playing a tight, pressing game which limited Napoli's forays into the opposition half.

Andrea Masiello was key to Atalanta's defensive stability in the first half as he kept Mertens at bay and also made an overhead kick clearance to stop Jose Callejon going clear on goal.

Napoli improved in the second half and were able to find the breakthrough when a defence-splitting Callejon ball bounced into the path of Mertens, who duly drilled home on the half-volley for his first Serie A goal since October 29.

Marek Hamsik and Marko Rog missed sitters against Atalanta late on, while the former saw an injury-time strike ruled out for offside, but Maurizio Sarri's men still managed to hang on for all three points.

ATALANTA (3-4-1-2): Berisha; Toloi, Caldara, Masiello; Hateboer, Cristante, Freuler, Spinazzola (Gosens 62'); Ilicic (Haas 75'); Cornelius, Gomez

NAPOLI (4-3-3): Reina; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Rui; Allan, Jorginho, Zielinski (Rog 86'); Callejon (Maggio 91'), Mertens, Insigne (Hamsik 74')

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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CInter Milan34285181186389
2AC Milan34217664392570
3Juventus341811547262165
4Bologna341712549272263
5Roma34178961412059
6Atalanta BCAtalanta331761061372457
7Lazio34174134335855
8Fiorentina331481150371350
9Napoli341311105243950
10Torino341113103131046
11Monza341111123644-844
12Genoa33912123540-539
13Lecce34812143149-1836
14CagliariCagliari33711153656-2032
15Hellas VeronaHellas Verona34710173145-1431
16FrosinoneFrosinone34710174363-2031
17Empoli3487192650-2431
18Udinese34417133251-1929
19SassuoloSassuolo3468204070-3026
RSalernitana3429232673-4715


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