CHAPTER 157: CHAPTER 146: NAPOLI VS ATALANTA II

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples

23’ - 45’+2’ | First Half Continues

The match restarted at the 24th minute and Napoli maintained their aggressive press, and Atalanta tried to build from the back but every pass felt rushed because blue shirts closed space immediately.

Musso rolled the ball to Tolói at the 26th minute and the center-back took two touches before playing it square to Demiral, but Osimhen’s pressure forced the pass to come quicker than intended and the ball reached Demiral with less accuracy.

Demiral controlled it and looked up for options while Politano sprinted toward him from the right wing, and the Italian defender played it back to Musso who immediately launched a long ball toward

The pass was too long and Napoli’s center-back Kim Min-jae headed it clear with authority, and the ball dropped to Lobotka in midfield who controlled it calmly before the cycle began again.

Commentary Booth

"Atalanta can’t find any rhythm," Caressa observed. "They’re playing long too often. That’s not Gasperini’s style but Napoli’s press is forcing them into it."

"Walter’s barely involved," Bergomi added. "When your number ten has this little impact, you’re in trouble."

29’ |

The second goal was born from another Demien struggle and it started at the 29th minute when De Roon played a sharp diagonal pass from deep toward Demien who was checking into space between Napoli’s lines.

Demien saw the ball coming and began his turn to receive it facing forward, but Anguissa read the movement perfectly and slammed into him mid-turn with a shoulder that knocked Demien off balance completely.

The contact was hard and deliberate though not illegal by Serie A standards, and the ball bounced loose toward Napoli’s right-back Di Lorenzo who collected it cleanly while the stadium reacted with a cheer that swelled with approval.

Commentary Booth

"Walter dispossessed again!" Caressa’s voice rose with the crowd noise. "Anguissa’s physicality is dominating this matchup!"

Demien stumbled and tried to recover but Di Lorenzo had already turned and accelerated forward down the right flank, and Napoli’s transition was immediate and devastating.

Mæhle sprinted back to cover but Di Lorenzo’s first touch pushed the ball five yards ahead before he exploded into space, and the crowd’s chanting grew rapid with rhythmic clapping as they sensed danger building.

Di Lorenzo drove to the edge of Atalanta’s penalty area before cutting inside slightly and looking up, and he saw Zielinski making a late run from midfield toward the top of the box.

The pass was weighted perfectly—not too hard, not too soft—and it bypassed Koopmeiners who lunged to intercept but missed by inches.

Zielinski received at the edge of the box and took one touch to set himself while Djimsiti slid across to close the angle, but the Italian midfielder had already seen the overlap run from Politano on the right side.

The ball was zipped between three players in rapid succession—Zielinski to Politano with a sharp horizontal pass, Politano’s first-time square ball back across the penalty area—and the movement was so quick that Atalanta’s defensive shape collapsed inward.

Anguissa arrived late at the top of the box completely unmarked because Atalanta’s midfielders had been caught too high up the pitch, and when the cutback reached him he took one touch before smashing it with his right foot.

The shot was hit with power and precision and it flew past Musso’s outstretched left hand before burying itself in the bottom corner.

Commentary Booth

"GOOOOOL! ANGUISSA!" Caressa screamed over the erupting crowd. "Atalanta sliced open! Napoli two ahead and this is becoming a statement performance! Look at that movement—three passes, clinical execution, Atalanta’s defense had no chance!"

"Too easy again," Bergomi said, and his voice carried disappointment. "Atalanta’s midfield got dragged out of position chasing the ball, and suddenly there’s a massive gap for Anguissa to exploit. That’s what elite teams do—they punish every mistake instantly."

The stadium exploded and the noise level jumped another degree as Napoli players pumped their fists at their roaring supporters, and Anguissa sprinted toward the Curva A with his arms spread wide while teammates chased him.

The celebration was aggressive and directed—pointing at the crowd, beating their chests, feeding off the energy—and the drums thundered so loud that the sound became physical.

Touchline

Gasperini’s face was tight with frustration and he turned toward his bench while rubbing his forehead with both hands, and his mouth moved rapidly as he shouted specific instructions though his voice was completely drowned out by the crowd noise.

His assistant stood beside him gesturing toward the pitch and trying to relay messages, but the players were too far away and the atmosphere too loud for communication to work effectively.

On The Pitch

Demien’s teammates surrounded him immediately after the goal and their voices carried anger and frustration.

"WAKE UP!" Lookman shouted directly at him. "YOU KEEP LOSING IT!"

Koopmeiners waved angrily for him to move more, his hands gesturing toward spaces Demien should have occupied, and his face showed exasperation.

"STOP STANDING STILL! CHECK AWAY FIRST!"

Demien’s jaw clenched and his chest felt tight with frustration because he knew they were right but executing under this pressure with Anguissa’s constant physical contact was harder than anything he’d experienced in Serie A so far.

Commentary Booth

"You can see the tension building in Atalanta’s team," Caressa observed. "Walter’s teammates are getting frustrated with him. That’s dangerous—when the team starts turning on each other, the match can spiral quickly."

"He’s eighteen years old in the most hostile environment in Italian football," Bergomi said. "But sympathy doesn’t win matches. He needs to adapt or Gasperini needs to make a change."

The restart came and Napoli pressed forward immediately, sensing blood in the water.

30’ - 34’ | Atalanta Under Siege

The next five minutes saw Napoli control possession completely with their midfield triangle of Lobotka-Anguissa-Zielinski dictating tempo, and Atalanta’s shape was compressed into their own defensive third.

At the 32nd minute Napoli worked the ball patiently across their backline—Kim Min-jae to Rrahmani to Di Lorenzo—while Atalanta held their defensive block and waited for an opportunity to press.

When Di Lorenzo played it into Lobotka’s feet the Croatian midfielder took two touches before switching it forty yards to Kvaratskhelia on the left wing, and the Georgian winger controlled it with his first touch before attacking Hateboer one-on-one.

The crowd rose in anticipation because they’d seen this matchup all night and Kvaratskhelia had won it every time, and the winger dropped his shoulder left before cutting right with that same sharp acceleration.

Hateboer recovered better this time and managed to stay goalside, but Kvaratskhelia’s cross into the box still came with dangerous pace and Osimhen attacked it at the near post.

Demiral read it and threw his body in front of the striker, and the ball deflected off both players before spinning out for a corner that was met with applause from the home crowd.

Commentary Booth

"Good defending from Demiral," Caressa noted. "But Atalanta are living on the edge here. Napoli creating chance after chance."

The corner was delivered by Zielinski with an inswinging cross toward the near post, and the penalty area became chaos with bodies colliding and arms pushing for position.

Kim Min-jae rose highest and his header was powerful but directed straight at Musso who caught it cleanly before immediately rolling it out to start a counter-attack.

A/N

Sorry for the late upload.... I am sick again and its like bad but heres the two extra Chapter i promised.