Atalanta dealt a heavy blow to Serie A leaders Napoli with a commanding 3-0 win on Sunday, led by an impressive Ademola Lookman who struck twice at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Napoli had been looking to extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points over Inter Milan, who were set to play later in the day.
However, Atalanta brought their ambitions to a sudden halt, snapping the home team’s unbeaten streak that had stood since August 18.
The game burst into life in the 10th minute when Lookman capitalized on Marten de Roon’s header, which dropped invitingly for the Nigerian international.
Lookman, born in London, wasted no time in slotting the ball past Napoli’s goalkeeper Alex Meret from close range.
The relentless forward doubled Atalanta’s advantage just past the 30-minute mark, this time with a beautifully curled strike that left the Napoli defense and coach Antonio Conte frustrated.
Conte’s anger was clear, as he felt his defenders allowed Lookman far too much space to line up the shot.
Napoli struggled to generate scoring opportunities throughout the game. Their best chance fell to former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, who saw his effort rebound off the post, keeping Atalanta’s lead intact.
Adding to Napoli’s woes, Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui sealed the victory in injury time with his 11th goal of the season.
This third goal allowed Atalanta to celebrate as they climbed to 22 points, moving them into second place on the table before three more Serie A games later in the day.
