(AFP) - Georgian midfielder Khvica Kvaratskhelia led his team, Napoli, to restore the winning streak and the 18-point difference from his direct chaser, Inter Milan, with his contribution to the victory over his guest, Atalanta Bergamo, 2-0, on Saturday, at the “Diego Armando Maradona” stadium in Naples in the sixth stage. twenty of the Italian Football League .
Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring with a wonderful goal in the 60th minute, and Kosovar defender Amir Rahmani (77) added the second goal.
And Napoli, seeking the third title in its history and the first since 1990, compensated for its second loss this season in the league and the first at home when it fell to Lazio 0-1 in the last stage when its series of successive victories in Calcio stopped at eight, so it achieved its 22nd victory, consolidating its position in the lead. With 68 points, and regaining the 18-point difference in front of its direct chaser Inter Milan, who lost to its host Spezia 1-2 on Friday in the opening stage.
The southern team, which came very close to winning the league title, also confirmed its good readiness for the historic confrontation against its German guest, Eintracht Frankfurt, next Wednesday, in the second leg of the Champions League final, as it seeks to reserve its ticket for the first time since its establishment to the quarter-finals, after it had won a clean double in the first leg. Frankfurt.
"When you come to Napoli, you make history," said coach Luciano Spalletti. "What people want, a team feeling that can turn into pressure. You need to have imagination and believe in your ability to win."
For his part, Rahmani said, "We are having fun, we are playing well even if we find it difficult at the beginning of the match because Atalanta is a good team," adding, "Of course we say it is normal, we are in a position where you can see with our fans how much they feel about it."
Napoli had the advantage from the start and pressed hard on its guest's goal in search of shaking his net, but he collided with a vigilant goalkeeper, Argentine Juan Musso, who shone brilliantly in keeping his net clean.
Musso blocked a powerful shot by Matteo Politano from outside the area and pushed it to a corner (6), then another shot by Kfaratskhelia (28), and a third by Politano from close range (42).
Musso continued his brilliance in the second half and blocked an acrobatic shot by Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, the league's top scorer so far (19 goals), from close range (49).
Kvaratkhilia tried his luck with a powerful shot from outside the area next to the right post (56).
Osimhen almost did it with a header from close range, which passed by a few centimeters near the right post (59).
And Napoli succeeded in translating his advantage into a goal when infidels received a ball from Osimhen outside the area, so he penetrated into it, manipulating three defenders more than once with a wonderful individual effort, before hitting it powerfully from close range into the goal (60).
Kafara raised his tally to 11 goals in his first season in Serie A and 13 in all competitions.
The Colombian international, Luis Morial, almost equalized with a creeping shot from inside the area, which was sent away by goalkeeper Colini to a corner (73). The first citizen, Duvan Sabata, almost exploited it with a header from close range, which was blocked by Coligny (74).
Rahmani succeeded in strengthening Napoli's progress by scoring the second goal with a header, following a corner kick that the North Macedonian substitute, Elif Elmas (77).
Colini continued his brilliance and blocked a powerful shot by Matteo Ruggieri from inside the area (84).
Lazio, who was the dawn of a heavy-caliber surprise in the last stage by defeating Napoli, failed to take advantage of Inter Milan's loss and snatch second place from it by falling into a goalless draw against its guest, Bologna.
Lazio remained third, one point behind Inter Milan, but threatened to drop to fourth place in the event that its neighbor, Roma, beat its guest, Sassuolo, on Sunday, noting that the two poles of the capital will meet on Sunday in a heated derby within the twenty-seventh stage.
The result is disappointing for Lazio, who had hoped to return to the path of victory after losing to its Dutch guest AZ Alkmaar 1-2 last Thursday in the first leg of the final price of the European League competition "Europa League", and before arriving as a guest on the latter in his quest to continue his career in the second continental competition. .
Udinese also regained the winning streak with a valuable 1-0 victory at Empoli, scored by Brazilian Rodrigo Picao in the 54th minute.
It is the first victory for Udinese in its last seven matches (4 draws and two losses) and the eighth this season, so it rose to ninth place temporarily with 35 points, one point behind Turin, who will visit Lecce on Sunday.
On the other hand, Empoli suffered a third consecutive loss and the fourth in his last seven matches in which he did not taste victories and the tenth this season, so his balance froze at 28 points in the fourteenth place.
On Sunday, Verona will also play with Monza, Cremonese with Fiorentina, and Juventus with Sampdoria, with the stage ending on Monday with Milan’s meeting with Salernitana.