Kvaratskhelia magic moves Napoli 18 points clear

NAPLES: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia helped move Napoli another step closer to a first Serie A title in more than three decades with a wonder goal in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Atalanta to push his team 18 points clear.

Georgia winger Kvaratskhelia lashed in the opening goal on the hour mark after spellbinding dribbling left Atalanta’s defence wondering which way to look before the ball finished in the back of the net.

His 11th league strike of the campaign set Napoli on their way to stretching their lead on Inter Milan who fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at lowly Spezia on Friday.

Lazio could have risen to second and trimmed the lead to 17 points in the late game on Saturday but played out a 0-0 draw in Bologna to remain third.

In Naples, Amir Rrahmani made sure of the points with 13 minutes remaining with a towering header from substitute Eljif Elmas’ corner.

“We’re enjoying ourselves, we’re playing well even if it was difficult to begin with tonight because Atalanta are a good team,” Rrahmani told DAZN.

“Of course we say it’s normal, we’re in a situation in which you can see with our fans how much they can feel it.”

Lazio can cut the yawning gap between Napoli and the rest to 17 if they win at Bologna in Saturday’s late match and take second spot.

But it’s surely only a matter of time until southern Italy’s biggest club win the Scudetto for the first time since 1990, when Diego Maradona was still strutting his stuff in sight of Mount Vesuvius.

Kvaratskhelia was key to what ended up being a straight-forward win but been a nervy affair following their home defeat to Lazio last weekend.