Two Serie A giants currently struggling for relevance take on each other in a bid to improve their fortunes and climb up the table as Napoli and Atalanta face off on Saturday.

In plain view, the happenings at Napoli could be related to the second-season syndrome that some might associate with Antonio Conte as they prepare for Atalanta’s visit this weekend. This is not the first time in his career that the Italian tactician is as fiery as he has been of late, with some harsh choice of words opening a can of speculation following the loss to Bologna.

There are injuries to blame for Napoli’s current slump, as the Partenopei have dropped points in their last two Serie A games, thus conceding the Serie A summit to arch rivals Inter Milan. Conte must find solutions to the fitness issues in his squad, which seems strong enough despite the manager’s plea to get more players in January.

Before the loss to Bologna, Napoli only managed a goalless draw to Como, which opened the chance for others to take over their top spot in the table. Now, it feels like a win is overdue in the Serie A, as Napoli host a struggling Atalanta side in a bid to maintain their unbeaten start on home soil.

Atalanta were ironically in a triple-threat challenge for the Serie A title when the two sides met last January. Since then, La Dea have been in a bit of a downward curve, as their current 13th-place position suggests. Meanwhile, they have seen managerial changes in the summer as well as recently.

Ivan Juric was relieved of his post after a dreadful start to the new campaign, and now, Raffaele Palladino will take charge of his first game for the Bergamo giants. Juric’s time ended with a disappointing home loss to newly promoted Sassuolo with a 3-0 reverse scoreline, forcing Atalanta to make the change.

The loss to Sassuolo was their seventh game without a win, as well as back-to-back defeats after Udinese got the better of Atalanta. Before that, La Dea endured five consecutive draws, which has seen them slip into the bottom half of the table.

Team News & Tactics

Napoli

Antonio Conte must have been furious to know that key midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has suffered a big thigh injury while featuring for Cameroon, which will force the Napoli boss to further tinker with his lineup.

The current update on the key midfielder states he could miss up to two months, which, coupled with Kevin De Bruyne’s long-term hamstring injury, could spell trouble for Napoli in the context of the Serie A title race and progression in the UEFA Champions League.

Furthermore, Billy Gilmour and Leonardo Spinazzola are out of contention for the upcoming clash with Atalanta, while Romelu Lukaku also sits on the sidelines, recuperating from an injury sustained at the start of the season. Goalkeeper Alex Meret is also out of contention, and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic will take the place between the posts.

Eljif Elmas could be drafted into central midfield in place of Anguissa, while Stanislav Lobotka and Scotland’s hero Scott McTominay will keep their spots. Rasmus Hojlund must overcome the disappointment of not finishing as group winners with Denmark and lead the line for Napoli against Atalanta, while Politano and David Neres will be able to support the striker in the frontline.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Gutierrez; Elmas, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Hojlund, Neres

Atalanta

Ahead of the game against Napoli, Atalanta’s problems are not about injuries to key stars but the unsettled nature of some of their main players, such as Ademola Lookman. As for the fitness report, only ACL victim Mitchel Bakker is the only absentee as things stand. Raffaele Palladino will otherwise have a full squad to choose his lineup from.

There have been suggestions that the new boss may not tinker with Atalanta’s current shape, which could mean the back three remains intact against Napoli. Odilon Kossounou will marshall the defensive line with Isak Hien and Honest Ahanor on either side. Meanwhile, Raoul Bellanova and Davide Zappacosta will feature in the wing-back roles.

Ederson will hold the fort in the midfield setup, with Mario Pasalic and Lazar Samardzic on either side of the Brazilian. Lookman is expected to feature in the front two setup, and Nikola Krstovic will provide him company in the final third.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Carnesecchi; Hien, Kossounou, Ahanor; Bellanova, Pasalic, Ederson, Samardzic, Zappacosta; Krstovic, Lookman

Key Stats

• Napoli have failed to win their last two games in Serie A.
• Napoli have failed to score in their last three games across all competitions.
• Atalanta have failed to win their last seven matches in Serie A.
• Atalanta have lost their last two games in Serie A.

Player to Watch

Scott McTominay

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A tremendous overhead kick to open the scoring for Scotland in their crucial, make-or-break World Cup qualifier set the tone in midweek. While Scotland ended up topping the group after a dramatic clash with Denmark, McTominay must now help his team Napoli to achieve the things they did together last season.

Napoli need inspiration from somewhere ahead of the game against Atalanta, given their injuries and an angry manager in the background. Hence, there is a big expectation from the fans to see last season’s Serie A MVP rise and take the mantle before their ship sinks altogether in the context of what they can achieve this season.

Prediction

Napoli 2-1 Atalanta

This is a clash of two struggling giants in Italy, although there can be a favourite in this game. Atalanta have been dreadful by all means over the last many weeks leading to Ivan Juric’s sacking. La Dea are winless in seven Serie A clashes, and that run might continue when they visit the reigning champions.

Napoli may have their own share of problems pertaining to injuries and internal issues, but Antonio Conte has a squad and the home support to get three points here. Given Napoli are still unbeaten at home, at the very least they could clinch draw against Atalanta. However, everything else points towards a narrow win for the champions in this fixture.