By Daily Sports Nigeria on March 11, 2023

Nigerian stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman will lock horns as Napoli battle Atalanta in a Serie A match on Saturday at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

The 24-year-old Nigerian striker has been impressive for Luciano Spalletti’s side this season and has been in the forefront to ensure the Parthenopeans claim their first Scudetto in 30 years.

Osimhen has notched 19 goals and three assists in 21 league appearances for the Parthenopeans in the 2022/23 season.

The Serie A top goals scorer will face a tough task to return Napoli to winning ways and kick their Serie A title chase back on track after suffering their first Serie A home defeat of the season against Lazio last weekend.

Osimhen aims to avoid going successive Serie A matches without scoring for the first time since September. The much-coveted striker has scored in two of three previous appearances against Atalanta, including his very first goal in Italy’s topflight.

The Serie A leaders lead the chart with 15 points and stand a chance to extend it to 18 points to boost their Scudetto chase.

Conceding a goal for the first time since January resulted in a rare defeat for Spalletti’s side, and after losses to Lazio and Inter since the winter break. The Partenopei have now lost two of their last four games against Top 6 foes, having gone unbeaten in each of their previous five.

Nonetheless, as they prepare to tackle the sixth-ranked Nerazzurri side on Saturday, Napoli still reign supreme at the Serie A summit.

Meanwhile, 25-year-old Lookman has also been impressive for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side and has scored 12 goals with five assists in 24 league matches this season, but has failed to score in his last five league games.

The last time he scored was in Atalanta’s 2-0 over Sampdoria in January.

The winger was again in the starting lineup as Atalanta played a goalless draw against Udinese in a Serie A match at the Gewiss Stadium last Sunday.

He was on the pitch for 62 minutes but could not end his goals drought and has not scored in Nerazzurri’s five Serie A matches.

Now, the former Leicester City man will be hoping to put an end to his goals drought and return La Dea to winning ways after failing to record a win in five Serie A games.

Stats show that Napoli have won only one of their last four home matches against Atalanta, and the clubs’ most recent meeting in Naples resulted in a 3-2 defeat for the home side in December 2021.

Source Punch Ng

Posted March 11, 2023

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