Serie A preview: How can Atalanta stop Napoli’s dominance – tactical analysis

There are a few European teams that have been utterly dominant in the 2022/23 season and while some of them are regularly under the spotlight, others, like Napoli, have surprised with their maturity and efficiency.

Luciano Spalletti’s side have impressed both in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League and they are both top of the league and top of their group after showing consistency in attack and stability in defence.

Atalanta, on the other side, currently only have to worry about the league games and they have thrown a lot of effort to trouble Napoli and settle in second place in the table. The team have had a balanced-out performance, although, with all the squad changes over the past couple of years, their previous attacking approach is starting to fade, which makes them less productive upfront than usual.

Both teams meet each other on Saturday and Gian Piero Gasperini’s team will try to close the gap with Gli Azzurri and remain in the second spot, which Milan now threaten.

In this preview, we use tactical analysis to explain both teams’ tactics and how they can expose each other to get the three points.

Key players and absences

The hosts Atalanta have a few players missing out from the squad for the game, which will inevitably affect their performance. While they do have some options up front, Luis Muriel’s absence decreases their chances to threaten the goal, despite the absence of Napoli’s first-choice central defender Amir Rrahmani.

Another player who is likely to miss the game due to injury is Marten de Roon which can be crucial against Spalletti’s team. De Roon’s presence in midfield is extremely important out of possession and his absence might result in La Dea having difficulties blocking Napoli’s intense attacks on the left.

The lack of a proper replacement for Hans Hateboer on the right flank might also turn out as a problem in case Gasperini needs to make changes. Although Hateboer is one of the best performers for the team, he will be challenged to defend against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is absolutely pivotal in attack.

It seems that the only absence for Napoli continues to be Rrahmani. While he has been important in the manager’s current set-up and his partnership with Kim Min-jae worked out perfectly, the team achieved defensive consistency without him as well. Juan Jesus stepped up and didn’t take his starting spot for granted, proving that Spalletti can easily rely on him.

The battle on the flank

The main battle on the field is expected to be the one between Kvaratskhelia and Hateboer. Both players are key to their teams’ attacking efforts, despite the difference in their positions and roles. Although Atalanta focus more of their attacking movement on the left, the Dutch wing-back’s contribution on the right has been very important for them to achieve balance.

Hateboer’s constant movement to the advanced areas and his positional interchanges with his teammates give the latter the opportunity to exploit wider areas and move off the ball to successfully threaten the goal. He supports the ball progression through his ability to hold on to the ball, which, combined with his passing, helps Atalanta in bypassing the press and exploiting quality areas.

Kvaratskhelia’s movement, though, will challenge his defensive contribution immensely. The Georgian’s distinguished technical abilities and dribbling skills can make it difficult for Hateboer to resist, especially having in mind his advanced position.

The Dutch will need to be with increased awareness and stay deeper than usual if he wants to avoid leaving gaps for Kvaratskhelia to exploit. The strong defensive organisation will be crucial for La Dea, as the wing-back will need additional support to be able to stop the Georgian. Closing out space with the help of a midfielder and a centre-back will be important, however, as mentioned, De Roon’s absence significantly decreases the team’s stability out of possession.