MILAN: Atalanta’s bid for a first Serie A title continued on Saturday with a club-record 10th straight league win, 1-0 at Cagliari, which was followed by closest challengers Napoli staying on their heels with a 3-1 win at Udinese.
Nicolo Zaniolo made sure Atalanta stayed top of Serie A this weekend with the goal which decided a hard-fought encounter in Sardinia, the Italy international forward stroking home the winner from Raoul Bellanova’s cut-back in the 66th minute.
Atalanta, guided by veteran coach Gian Piero Gasperini, have emerged as genuine Scudetto challengers for the first time in their history and stay two points clear at the top of the league.
However, Gasperini was not happy with his players’ performances as, after impressing in Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid, they struggled against Cagliari who are 15th and only two points above the relegation zone.
Atalanta, who also struck the post through Ademola Lookman almost straight after Zaniolo’s winner, only came away with all three points thanks to a brilliant performance between the sticks from Marco Carnesecchi.
Goalkeeper Carnesecchi pulled off three sensational stops in the six minutes before the break and saved the win in stoppage time by keeping out Leonardo Pavoletti’s header.
“A good chunk of this team, not everyone, needs to grow up a bit and get the same mentality as the core group of the squad,” said Gasperini. whose decision to make three substitutions at half-time was a sign of his dissatisfaction.
“We’re up there, but winning 10 matches in a row doesn’t really mean anything.”
Zaniolo’s strike was his third of the season and a further sign of new life after a difficult last few years.
The 25-year-old was once the rising star of Italian football after coming to prominence at Roma, where two serious knee injuries in 2020 stymied his development as a creative playmaker.
He won the inaugural Europa Conference League with Roma in 2022 under Jose Mourinho, but fell out with the Portuguese coach and last year was packed off to Galatasaray, from where he was loaned to Atalanta in July.
Gasperini later criticized Zaniolo for being booked while celebrating his goal, calling “intolerable” him whipping his shirt as it fired up the home crowd.
Zaniolo did the same thing when netting against Roma earlier this month, enraging his former supporters with his behavior.
“We cannot afford that every time he scores a goal he fires up the crows and turns our advantage into a disadvantage,” Gasperini told reporters.
“Cagliari were stunned and we managed to create a situation where the crowd fired them up again... it’s already the second time that he’s done it.”
Napoli, missing injured star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, came back from a goal down to secure the three points at the Bluenergy Stadium where they sealed a historic third league crown last year.
Trailing at the break after Florian Thauvin netted on the rebound from his own saved 22nd-minute penalty, Napoli roared back in the second half to delight their large and loud traveling support.
Romelu Lukaku levelled five minutes after half-time, bursting through to collect Scott McTominay’s pass, holding off Lautaro Giannetti and firing in his sixth Napoli goal.
The unfortunate Giannetti inadvertently put Napoli ahead in the 76th minute when he shinned in David Neres’ miscued shot and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa sealed the points by coolly finishing off a fine team move.
“I said after we lost to Lazio (last weekend) that we’re on the right track,” said Conte to DAZN.
“The team needs to keep playing this kind of football, dictate the game, keep the ball and press when we don’t have it.”
Napoli are four points ahead of Lazio and third-placed Inter, who face off in Rome on Monday night, and Fiorentina with the Viola at Bologna on Saturday.
Juventus are 10 points behind Atalanta ahead of their home clash with bottom club Venezia, Sunday’s late fixture.
Record-breakers Atalanta maintain Serie A lead as Napoli lurk
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Record-breakers Atalanta maintain Serie A lead as Napoli lurk
- Nicolo Zaniolo made sure Atalanta stayed top of Serie A this weekend with the goal which decided a hard-fought encounter in Sardinia
- Atalanta, guided by veteran coach Gian Piero Gasperini, have emerged as genuine Scudetto challengers for the first time in their history
Matt Kuchar lost his father in February and ends the year with emotional PNC victory with his son
- The tournament that is all about family and fun ended with Kuchar wiping away tears as his voice cracked while speaking about how much it meant without his father, who died in February
- Cameron Kuchar, who was able to use one tee box forward as a high school student, hammered another drive and watched his father hit 7-iron to 18 inches
- The PNC Championship, which began in 1995 as the Father-Son Challenge, is for major champions and their children
ORLANDO, Fla.: Matt Kuchar couldn't imagine a better ending to a year when he lost his father than to finally win the PNC Championship with his son.
There was no stopping them Sunday in a record-smashing performance that led to an 18-under 54 and a whopping seven-shot victory.
The tournament that is all about family and fun ended with Kuchar wiping away tears as his voice cracked while speaking about how much it meant without his father, who died in February.
The finish was simply surreal to him.
Cameron Kuchar, who was able to use one tee box forward as a high school student, hammered another drive and watched his father hit 7-iron to 18 inches. Kuchar gave his son the honor of tapping in for the final touch on an unforgettable week for the Kuchar family.
“I don’t know if you believe in karma, if you believe in fate, whatever you believe in, there’s something magical that does exist,” Kuchar said as tears began to form. “I’m a believer in God that Dad is up above looking down, and what happened on 18, I could hardly stand up and hit a shot. For me to hit it to a foot, makes me think there’s something more out there. Just miss Pops.”
Peter Kuchar, who at one time was the top-ranked doubles tennis player in Florida, first became a presence on the golf scene when he caddied for his son when Kuchar won the US Amateur in 1997, and when he was low amateur at the Masters and U.S. Open the following year.
He played with Kuchar at the PNC Championship before yielding the stage to Kuchar's sons.
Peter Kuchar died in February of a heart attack while swimming when he was on a Caribbean cruise with his wife, Meg, to celebrate her birthday.
Kuchar and his son each got the Willie Park Trophy, a red belt that Kuchar jokingly said would wear well with his tartan jacket he won from Harbour Town at the RBC Heritage.
The PNC Championship, which began in 1995 as the Father-Son Challenge, is for major champions and their children. It has been expanded over the years to include The Players Championship winners, senior and LPGA major champions. Players have brought parents or daughters.
Kuchar, who won The Players Championship in 2012, said he keeps photos to go with the trophies from most of his nine PGA Tour victories. In early victories he could hold both sons. And then they were too big too hold. The most recent photo taken Sunday afternoon leaves him heartbroken.
“And now to have this shot with the family, it’s clearly missing ... missing one,” he said, pausing because his voice was so choked with emotion. “But it’s special, very special.”
So was their golf, and it was a runaway from the start. Cameron Kuchar, who has signed to play for TCU next year, birdied the first hole and his father hit hybrid to 12 feet for eagle on the third.
They made only two pars in the scramble format and countered that with two eagles. They finished at 33-under 111 to break the tournament record by five shots.
Lee Trevino delivered the highlight when the 86-year-old holed out from the fairway with a lob wedge for eagle on the 13th hole.
John Daly and John Daly II, a senior at Arkansas and the Southern Amateur champion, made eagle on the last hole for a 59 to tie for second with Davis Love III and Dru Love (58). Nelly Korda and her father, and Steve Stricker and his daughter, finished another shot behind.
All of them looked at scoreboards coming in and saw there was no chance of catching the Kuchars, certainly not on this day.
“If they end up getting to 30 (under), you’re talking about only six holes missed in 36 holes. That’s remarkable,” Duval said.
Turns out the Kuchar duo was even better — 36 holes, 33 under. Fate or otherwise, it was some remarkable golf. Twice before, they held the lead going into the final day and didn't hold it. On Sunday they started with a two-shot lead and ran away with it. It was their time.
