Dignity restored: Napoli return to Serie A top after brushing aside pale Atalanta

David Neres chose the perfect night to wake up. After nearly a year without a Serie A goal, the Brazilian erupted for a brace and led Napoli to a resounding win in Bergamo, as Raffaele Palladino's first match in charge of Atalanta turned into a harsh reality check.

Napoli arrived from the international break battered, limping, and under pressure - winless in three, missing Gilmour, Anguissa, De Bruyne, Meret and Lukaku. It forced Noa Lang into only his second start of the season. On the other side, Atalanta, drowning in a seven-game drought, had just sacked Ivan Juric and handed the reins to hometown boy Palladino.

But any debut glow vanished quickly.

Napoli struck first through Neres, who latched onto a clever Hojlund flick, escaped Ahanor's marking and curled an inch-perfect finish into the far corner. Atalanta tried to shake off the shock: De Ketelaere and Pasalic both wasted promising looks.

Then came the disaster.

Keeper Carnesecchi cleared straight into trouble, Scott McTominay recycled the ball instantly, and Neres - cold as ice - drilled home his second.

And before Atalanta could breathe, there was more. In the final action of the half, Noa Lang beat Bellanova to the far post and headed in his first Napoli goal from a Di Lorenzo delivery, 3-0.

Palladino threw on reinforcements at the break, but within seconds Carnesecchi had to save again with McTominay nearly blasting in a fourth.

Only then did Atalanta finally wake up.

Scamacca produced a thunderous volley to pull one back, De Ketelaere curled an effort that grazed the crossbar, and Milinkovic-Savic was forced into several sharp stops as La Dea poured forward in waves.

Scamacca went inches wide with a header, Carnesecchi denied Elmas late, and Atalanta's second-half fire showed spirit but not salvation.

Napoli, bruised and patched together, left with exactly what they needed - a win, goals, and a statement. Atalanta left with a debut to forget.

ITALY SERIE A ROUND 12

Saturday

Cagliari - Genoa 3-3 (2-2)

/Borrelli 33,60, Esposito 43 - Vitinha 18, Ostigard 41, Martin 83/

Udinese - Bologna 0-3 (0-0)

/Pobega 54,59, Bernardeschi 90+4/

Fiorentina - Juventus 1-1 (0-1)

/Mandragora 48 - Kostic 45+4/

Napoli - Atalanta 3-1 (3-0)

/Neres 17, 38, Lang 45 - Scamacca 52/

Sunday

14.30: (2.35) Verona (3.10) Parma (3.55)

17.00: (5.90) Cremonese (3.70) Roma (1.63)

20.00: (1.65) Lazio (3.60) Lecce (6.00)

22.45: (1.95) Inter (3.60) Milan (4.20)

Monday

20.30: (3.50) Torino (3.20) Como (2.30)

22.45: (2.05) Sassuolo (3.35) Pisa (3.80)

***odds are subject to change***