Serie A | Napoli 3-1 Atalanta: Neres and Lang ruin Palladino debut

Napoli got back on track with a David Neres brace and Noa Lang’s first goal to ruin Raffaele Palladino’s debut on the Atalanta bench.

The Partenopei went into the break for international duty in crisis with just two draws from their last three competitive games, plus Billy Gilmour, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Kevin De Bruyne, Alex Meret and Romelu Lukaku injured. Noa Lang therefore got his second start of the season. La Dea sacked coach Ivan Juric after back-to-back Serie A defeats and a seven-round winless streak, so Palladino made his debut in his hometown. Giorgio Scalvini was the only notable absentee.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

David Neres had not scored a Serie A goal for 11 months, but broke that drought when he ran onto the smart Rasmus Hojlund flick, got away from Honest Ahanor and bent the precise finish into the far bottom corner.

Atalanta tried to respond, as Charles De Ketelaere and Mario Pasalic fired off target from promising positions.

However, Napoli doubled their advantage when a poor Marco Carnesecchi clearance was put back in by Scott McTominay for Neres to drill left-footed into the opposite corner.

On the stroke of half-time, there was joy for Noa Lang too with his first goal for the club, getting in front of Raoul Bellanova to nod in at the back post on a Giovanni Di Lorenzo cross.

Palladino made a double substitution at half-time, but within 30 seconds Carnesecchi was forced into a tough save at the near post on McTominay’s powerful effort.

De Ketelaere’s snooker shot skimmed the far post after combining with Lookman and moments later Atalanta got on the scoresheet with a spectacular Gianluca Scamacca volley from 12 yards on Bellanova’s cross.

La Dea woke up after a nightmare first half and De Ketelaere’s curler shaved a coat of paint off the crossbar with Vanja Milinkovic-Savic rooted to the spot, then the goalkeeper got down to fingertip a Scamacca strike round the base of the upright.

It was suddenly all Atalanta, Scamacca nodding a Lazar Samardzic cross inches wide, while late on Carnesecchi used his foot to parry an Eljif Elmas corner.

Neres 17, 38 (N), Lang 45 (N), Scamacca 53 (A)