Serie A | Atalanta 2-3 Napoli: Lukaku seals thrilling battle at the top

epa11834998 Napolis Romelu Lukaku (L) scores the 2-3 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta BC and SSC Napoli in Bergamo, Italy, 18 January 2025. EPA-EFE/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA

Napoli took a massive step towards the Scudetto with a thrilling 3-2 victory away to Atalanta, as Matteo Politano, Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku ended La Divinità ’s run.

This was a top of the table showdown with four points separating them, as La Divinità were unbeaten in 15, but had drawn their last three in a row and were missing suspended Sead Kolasinac, injured Odilon Kossounou, Juan Cuadrado and Gianluca Scamacca. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia completed his transfer to PSG yesterday, but David Neres has already taken over the role with Juan Jesus again filling in for injured Alessandro Buongiorno.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

When these sides met in November, Atalanta ran out 3-0 winners at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and Retegui scored late on.

The Capocannoniere made his return to the starting XI after injury and made an immediate impact too, smashing a ferocious left-foot finish into the near top corner from 10 yards after gathering with his back to goal.

Napoli drew level with their first real opportunity and a very similar strike, because David Neres saw his cross deflected into the path of Matteo Politano, who in an unusually central role took a first touch before smashing it into the far top corner with his left foot from a tight angle.

It was wide open and after Ademola Lookman drilled wide, the Partenopei turned it around. David Neres helped win the ball back at the corner flag and his delightful back-heel flick released Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa to pull back, Scott McTominay sweeping it first-time into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Retegui fired over from a tricky angle on the Lazar Samardzic through ball, but Lookman created the equaliser out of nothing by flicking the ball around the sliding Giovanni Di Lorenzo, then taking on three players to thread his finish through a sea of legs.

epa11834922 Atalanta's Ademola Lookman scores the 2-2 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta BC and SSC Napoli in Bergamo, Italy, 18 January 2025. EPA-EFE/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA — epa11834922 Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman scores the 2-2 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta BC and SSC Napoli in Bergamo, Italy, 18 January 2025. EPA-EFE/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA

Atalanta were pouring forward in the second half, Lookman’s slide-rule pass releasing Samardzic to test Alex Meret at the near post, then the goalkeeper making a one-handed save on Charles De Ketelaere’s header.

After riding out that storm, Napoli went back in front as Anguissa stood up a cross from the left for his second assist of the game, Lukaku’s glancing header into the far bottom corner when shrugging off Giorgio Scalvini.