Napoli director Cristiano Giuntoli explains what drew them to Kim-Min-jae and assures Atalanta can ‘absolutely’ be Scudetto contenders ahead of tonight’s showdown.
It kicks off at the Gewiss Stadium at 17.00 GMT.
This is a battle between the leaders and the team in second place, so a somewhat unexpected Scudetto battle in Week 13.
Could Atalanta really be considered Serie A title contenders along with Napoli?
“Absolutely yes, they don’t have the European commitments, have been doing well for many years now, have a great coach, squad and directors, manage to renovate the team every year, so they will certainly get many points,” Giuntoli told DAZN.
Napoli have been transformed this summer with the departure of big names, but the new faces have been real surprises.
Kvicha Kvaratskhelia is out injured for the first time this season due to a back problem, along with Amir Rrahmani, but Giacomo Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone are still on the bench.
“Having a competitive squad and competition for places will raise the level of the training sessions and the intensity of their work. So far, things are going well, but it’s early days, we need to keep our feet on the ground, continue as we are doing and see where we end up.
“This situation of having strong competition for places is keeping everyone happy at the moment.”
South Korea international centre-back Kim-Min-jae has been a revelation too in defence, replacing Kalidou Koulibaly over the summer.
“He is very focused, he never loses concentration, and is also surprisingly quick. Those are the reasons why we were first drawn to him and decided to make him our firm target.”