(AFP) - Napoli took the lead by defeating Atalanta 2-1 on Saturday in the thirteenth stage of the Italian Football League , while Milan took the runner-up at the expense of the Bergamo club in particular, by defeating its guest Spezia 2-1.
The southern club came from behind with a goal from Nigerian Ademola Lukman (19 from the penalty spot), to victory thanks to the latter’s compatriot Victor Osimhen (23) and Elif Elmas from North Macedonia (35).
And Napoli, the leader and the only one who had not yet lost in the “Serie A”, hit two birds with one stone, so he regained the winning tone after losing to Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday, and moved away by 6 points from his new runner-up, Milan (35 versus 29), while Atalanta, who retreated to the center, fell behind. The third, by 8 points, during the stage that witnesses another summit match between Juventus and Inter on Sunday.
Napoli achieved a wonderful start to the season locally and continually, which was only disturbed by its recent loss against Liverpool, but after guaranteeing qualification before playing it, then it managed to maintain its lead despite its loss, by winning the first leg 1-4.
Napoli has been panting after its first title since 1990, when the late Argentine star Diego Armando Maradona led it to its second title in its history.
Napoli lost three of its pillars during the summer, with the departure of its Belgian attackers, Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne, to Galatasaray, Turkey, and Toronto, Canada, respectively. Senegalese defense pole Kalidou Coulibaly moved to Chelsea, England.
At home in Bergamo, Atalanta pressed early and got a penalty kick after a handball inside the area on Nigerian Napoli striker Osimhen, and after returning to the video assistant referee “VAR” for confirmation, the latter’s citizen Lucman struck a powerful shot to the left of goalkeeper Alex Merritt (19). , in his sixth goal in the “Serie A” this season.
Napoli did not delay in responding through Osimhen in particular, who made up for his mistake with the equalizer with a header to the left of Argentine goalkeeper Juan Musso (23).
It is the Nigerian international's eighth goal in the league this season.
And coach Luciano Spalletti's men translated their possession of the ball by 68 percent, and their team play with 205 successful passes out of 230 attempts since the start of the match, to the second goal after a ground pass from Osimhen to midfielder Elmas from North Macedonia, who controlled the ball, dodged the goalkeeper and shot with his foot. Left-handed Brazilian Ederson failed to clear the net (35).
With the start of the second half, Atalanta almost equalized after a breakthrough from the left corridor into the area, and a shot from Dane Joachim Malh was blocked by goalkeeper Merritt, to return to Luckman who hit the crossbar (55).
The two coaches made several substitutions to change the course of the match, and Argentine substitute Giovanni Simeone, the son of Diego, coach of Atletico Madrid, almost added the third to Napoli 3 minutes after he came on in place of Osimhen, but his ground shot from the penalty spot passed near the post (78).
Atalanta coach Jean-Pierrot Gasperini commented on his team's loss, "We were at the level of the match and sometimes we were superior. We did not deserve to lose this match, but we can feel proud because the team is developing well."
He continued, "I was curious to measure myself against Napoli, and I saw young players who could guarantee us good things."
Milan returned to the winning tone after losing to Turin 1-2 in the last stage, with a difficult victory over Spezia 2-1.
The “Rossoneri” owes its victory to its savior, veteran substitute French striker Olivier Giroud, who scored the winning goal in the 89th minute, after he had opened the scoring through his captain, French defender Theo Hernandez (21).
Just for the guests, Daniel Maldini, loaned from Milan himself, son of defense legend Paolo and current sports director of the home team (59), opened his first goal in the league this season.
Milan is going through a good period at the local and continental levels, as it qualified for the final price of the Champions League competition for the first time since 2014, by occupying second place in Group E behind leaders Chelsea.
Milan, who avenged its loss at home to Spezia 1-2 last season, armed itself with its success in the San Siro, as it scored since the start of the season 18 points out of 21 possible, with 6 victories against a defeat by Napoli 1-2.
And at the San Siro stadium in Milan, the owners of the land opened the scoring after a pass from the Algerian Ismail Bennacer, who was tamed by defender Hernandez with his chest and hit it with his left foot to the right of the Polish goalkeeper Bartolomei Dragowski (21), confirmed by the video assistant referee “VAR” for fear of an offside situation on the captain the team.
It was Hernandez's second goal in the league this season, after his first in a 4-2 win over Udinese on August 13.
The Frenchman almost added the second, but Spezia's goalkeeper was on the lookout for his shot (39), before the Portuguese striker Rafael Leao's shot (45 + 4) was blocked by the crossbar.
With the start of the second half, the “Rossoneri” was once again the most dangerous after a shot from the Belgian Divock Origi to the right of the penalty area, which was blocked by the goalkeeper (50), but the guest team snatched the equalizing goal outside the course of the game in the 59th minute, thanks to Daniel Maldini.
Coincidentally, Maldini Jr. scored his first goal in his career in 15 matches he played with Milan since 2020 against his current team in a 2-1 home win last season.
The defending champion believed that he had returned to the lead thanks to the goal of substitute Sandro Tonali, who entered the place of Bennacer, but “VAR” canceled the goal due to a mistake on fellow defender Fikayo Tomori at the start of the attack (65).
Substitute Giro shuffled the cards again by scoring the winning goal 17 minutes after he came on for Origi, following a pass from Tonali on the right to the second post, followed by the 36-year-old with a shot on the fly with his left foot into the net (89), to return and be sent off after he took off his shirt to celebrate. He received two yellow cards.
Jiro had scored two goals and passed two decisive balls in the victory over Austrian Salzburg on Wednesday in the main continental competition.
Empoli beat Sassuolo 1-0, and Salernitana drew 2-2 at home to Cremonese.
And the stage continues on Sunday, and he plays in the second summit, Rome against Lazio in the capital’s derby, Bologna with Turin, Monza against Verona, and Sampdoria with Fiorentina.