Atalanta Halts Napoli's Unbeaten Streak, Inter Milan Tightens Title Race

Atalanta dealt Serie A leaders Napoli a heavy blow on Sunday, securing a decisive 3-0 win at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Ademola Lookman starred with two goals, snapping Napoli's unbeaten run that dated back to August 18.

Napoli had aimed to extend their lead at the top of the table, but Atalanta's strong performance shifted momentum. Shortly after, Inter Milan's 1-0 victory over Venezia tightened the title race, bringing them within a point of Napoli.

Lookman opened the scoring in the 10th minute, capitalizing on Marten de Roon's header to beat Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret. He extended Atalanta's lead with a curling shot just past the half-hour mark, leaving Napoli coach Antonio Conte frustrated with his defense's lapse in positioning.

Napoli struggled offensively, with few clear chances. Midfielder Scott McTominay, previously with Manchester United, hit the post with their best effort. Atalanta sealed the win in stoppage time, as Mateo Retegui scored his 11th goal of the season, bringing Atalanta to 22 points—just three behind Napoli.

"We had a great match, bringing three points back from the league leaders is a great source of pride," Lookman told DAZN. Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini shared his satisfaction: "When you come to play in Napoli against a team that has had a great start to the season, you know that you have to have a great match. We are very satisfied." He added that the team is "growing, making progress," and that despite making eleven changes from their midweek squad, "we still need to improve things."

Napoli coach Conte remained composed, acknowledging the gap in experience: "We shouldn't be ashamed of this defeat; they have been playing together for a long time, they are better structured than us."

Meanwhile, Inter Milan's tight 1-0 win over Venezia was clinched by captain Lautaro Martinez, who scored in the 65th minute off a cross from Federico Dimarco. Venezia appeared to have equalized in stoppage time, but Marin Sverko's goal was disallowed by VAR for a foul.

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi highlighted the need for improved finishing: "We clearly need to be more clinical, we shouldn't find ourselves in such a situation given the number of chances we had." He emphasized the open nature of this year's championship, noting, "This kind of victory can make the difference."

Inter and Napoli are set to face each other next Sunday at the San Siro, a clash that could reshape the top standings.

Elsewhere, Fiorentina joined Atalanta with 22 points after Moise Kean scored in the 41st minute for a 1-0 win at Torino. Roma endured a 3-2 defeat against Verona, marking their third loss in four games. They currently sit in 11th place with 13 points, adding pressure on coach Ivan Juric, who only took over in September from Daniele De Rossi.