NAPLES – At 50 points, after 21 days with 16 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats, I apologize to all lovers of balance at all costs but I’m starting to dream of Napoli’s fourth championship. I know it’s early, that there are still 17 games to play, but the concreteness shown by this group of lads in Bergamo, capable of overturning the result twice, hasn’t left me indifferent. This mental click had already caught my eye during the trip to Florence, but before starting to fly with my imagination it was right to wait for confirmation. And the answers came, one after the other, both at home and away. Numbers that underline the strength of the defense, with twelve clean sheets obtained and truly solid as ever despite the very heavy absence of Buongiorno. Juan Jesus, in all sincerity, is not making you regret it, implementing short and precise movements, without venturing into unnecessary risks in the setup phase. The returning Olivera, as well as the captain Di Lorenzo, once again responded present, also avoiding some small personal distractions and those of Rrahmani. The one who suffered a little from Samardzic, but it could be a one-off, was Lobotka. So much so that Conte thought for a long time about replacing him with Gilmour. The Slovakian, however, was able to take measures in the final, being able to count on the two now insurmountable shoulders at his side: Anguissa, increasingly in Superman version, with two assists in the kiss for Politano and Lukaku, and McTominay, extraordinary for quantity and eye for goal . Up front, then, the absence of the new Parisian Kvara was not felt at all, thanks to the extraordinary work of Neres, elusive in tight spaces and an amazing juggler with the ball at his feet, and the coldness of Politano and Lukaku. The Belgian, for very long stretches, appeared slow and almost absent from the maneuver of the game, thanks to a very tough Hien acting as his guard, only to then find the very heavy header of the victory in the 78th minute. It was not a trivial victory, Atalanta sold dearly at home, and if the flashes of Retegui (left too free to turn by Amir, just before throwing his uncatchable shot into the net for Meret) and Lookman (lucky and ruthless in the rebound with Politano) had generated a hint of disappointment, Lukaku’s final stamp made it clear that Napoli are up there with merit. With this solidity, no opponent is feared and even the many fans who flocked to Capodichino at three in the morning to embrace their favorites, returning from the victorious away match, are a clear testimony to this. Dreaming, with solid certainties in your hands, is possible and, at this point, you must! Thanks Conte, keep going!
Antonio Petrazzuolo
Naples Magazine
Reproduction of the text permitted subject to citation of the source: www.napolimagazine.com