Atalanta upset Napoli to advance to Coppa Italia semis, Latest Football News - The New Paper
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Atalanta upset Napoli to advance to Coppa Italia semis

Atalanta continued their impressive season when they won 2-1 at Serie A leaders Napoli yesterday morning (Singapore time) to reach the semi-finals of the Italian Cup.

The Bergamo-based team, whose only major title success was when they won the same competition in 1963, have also reached the last 32 of the Europa League and are ninth in Serie A.

Napoli rotated their team, leaving forwards Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne on the bench, and were unrecognisable from the side which usually play the most flowing and entertaining football in Italy.

Atalanta went ahead five minutes after the restart with a goal from Timothy Castagne, who blasted the ball into the net from close range after Andreas Cornelius' shot hit a defender and rebounded into his path.

Alejandro Gomez added a brilliant second in the 81st minute when he collected the ball on the left, sped past Vlad Chiriches as the Napoli defender slipped and unleashed an unstoppable shot from a narrow angle past goalkeeper Luigi Sepe.

Mertens, brought on in the second half, pulled one back in the 84th minute but Atalanta, who beat Napoli home and away in the league last season, comfortably held on.

In the two-legged semi-final, Atalanta will face either Juventus or Torino. AC Milan will meet Lazio in the other semi-final. - REUTERS

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