BERGAMO, ITALY — Lazar Samardzic rose magnificently to nod home a 81st-minute header and hand Atalanta a dramatic 2-1 Serie A victory over Napoli at the New Balance Arena, completing one of the most stirring comebacks of the Italian season. The hosts, who had trailed since the 18th minute, showed characteristic resilience to overturn Sam Beukema's opener and deny the third-placed visitors a precious away point in the title race.
Napoli had looked set to leave Bergamo with three points after Beukema's towering header gave them an early stranglehold on proceedings. The defender met Miguel Gutiérrez's pinpoint cross from a set piece in the 18th minute, powering the ball high into the centre of the goal to silence the home faithful. It was a composed, well-worked goal that rewarded Napoli's disciplined defensive shape and sharp transitional play in the opening exchanges.
Atalanta, despite enjoying the majority of possession at 56.4%, found themselves frustrated for much of the first half by a well-organised Napoli backline. The hosts pressed and probed but lacked the cutting edge to trouble Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, who was largely untroubled before the break. Marco Carnesecchi was called into action twice in first-half stoppage time, denying both Alisson Santos and Antonio Vergara with sharp stops in the bottom left corner to keep his side within reach at the interval.
The second half brought a different Atalanta. Gian Piero Gasperini's double substitution at the break — Lazar Samardzic and Gianluca Scamacca introduced for Kamaldeen Sulemana and Nikola Krstovic respectively — injected urgency and creativity into the home side's play. The tempo shifted noticeably, and Napoli began to retreat under sustained pressure.
Milinkovic-Savic produced a stunning reflex stop in the 56th minute to deny Raoul Bellanova, who had attacked a cross from a difficult angle on the right and directed his header toward the top centre of the goal. It was the kind of save that can define a match — and for a moment, it seemed as though Napoli's goalkeeper might be the difference. But the equaliser arrived just five minutes later. Nicola Zalewski's corner was whipped in with precision, and Mario Pasalic stole in at the near post to guide a header from the left side of the six-yard box into the bottom right corner. The New Balance Arena erupted.
Napoli responded with a flurry of substitutions — Leonardo Spinazzola, Matteo Politano, Giovane, and Mathías Olivera all introduced in quick succession — as they sought to reassert control. But Atalanta were clinical, putting 7 of their 10 shots on target, and the momentum was firmly with the hosts. Scamacca tested Milinkovic-Savic again in the 68th minute with a low drive from outside the box, the goalkeeper pushing it away into the corner. Napoli's goalkeeper was called into action five times across the ninety minutes, a testament to the relentless pressure Atalanta applied.
The winner came with nine minutes remaining. Lorenzo Bernasconi — himself a second-half substitute — delivered a teasing cross from the right flank, and Samardzic arrived with perfect timing at the centre of the box, powering his header into the bottom right corner. It was a goal of real quality, and it sent the Bergamo faithful into raptures.
The statistics told the story of Atalanta's dominance: 56.4% possession, 10 shots to Napoli's 10, but a decisive edge in accuracy with 7 shots on target compared to Napoli's 4. Both sides received one yellow card each — Zalewski for Atalanta and one for the visitors — in a competitive but controlled contest. Atalanta's six corners to Napoli's one underlined where the territorial pressure lay throughout the evening.
Confidence will be high when Atalanta travel to face Sassuolo on March 1, while Napoli, still third with 50 points, must dust themselves off before hosting Hellas Verona on the same date.
