It was never going to be pretty. A tough away trip to Bergamo faced Napoli after having drawn and lost in the previous two rounds against Bologna and Roma. Conversely, Atalanta had beaten both Roma and Lazio this term and looked to enact a similar fate to the Neapolitans.

Many neutrals thought another consecutive disappointing result for Napoli would help to derail their push for a Champions League place, given their history in these situations and just how competitive this campaign has been. This current season in Italy has been largely unpredictable and exciting, therefore no one really knew what to expect at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia.

A victory was needed to shake off their inconsistent form and end the year on a positive note for Maurizio Sarri's men, with Champions League aspirations and a deep run in the Europa League a benchmark for the Partenopei.

Recent seasons have highlighted the club's inability to squash the mid-table clubs in Italy, making it impossible to genuinely fight for the Scudetto under former coaches Walter Mazzarri and Rafael Benitez.

Therefore, the Atalanta clash would truly test the Partenopei's title credentials; the stage was set.

The away team came out of the gates sluggish and with low levels of concentration, characteristic of past performances against clubs of similar stature. A rough day at the office was expected for Sarri's side and this quickly manifested itself in the first 45, with Alejandro Gomez and Maxi Moralez constantly threatening the opposition backline.

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina was tested in the opening interval due to lapses of concentration and generally good play from the home side. Surprisingly, the Partenopei managed to hold on and went into the break with the score remaining 0-0.

Napoli entered the match without a win at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia in 6 years but that would change in the second half as yet another Gonzalo Higuain inspiring performance led the club to grab all three points.

Although Marek Hamsik converted from the spot, their lead lasted only two minutes with many expecting a familiar Napoli to drop points in this situation. To win the league, the matches that truly matter in the end are against the smaller teams and continually dropping points against them would further distance the Partenopei from the summit.

As it progressed, Sarri's XI took further control of the match through improved possession and creation of chances, looking the more dangerous of the two sides to break the deadlock.

But Higuain would come to the rescue and made sure Napoli left Bergamo with all three points. First, the Argentinean nodded home from a corner and late slotted his effort past Davide Bassi.

The 28-year-old's brace brings him to 16 goals this term, the most out of any in the peninsula. Higuain has been Napoli's main man, winning just once in a match when he didn't score (0-4 against Milan).

The win brings Napoli up to second, tied on points with Fiorentina, two ahead of Juventus and just one back from leaders Inter. Since changing to a 4-3-3, the only blemishes in Napoli's record have been two scoreless draws away to Carpia and Genoa and a loss to Bologna.

Simply put: the away victory over Atalanta is something the club can build on for the remainder of the season when confronting the provinciali. Napoli showed the cynicism to convert their chances in front of goal, something that has always been a missing factor in these types of matches.

They also remained tight in defence and Reina's quality and experience contributed to this factor. Rafael's inexperience in between the posts last season for the club aided in numerous goals conceded, 54 in Serie A to be exact.

If Napoli continue to approach future matches against mid-table clubs with the right focus, intensity, and coolness in front of goal as illustrated in the second half against Atalanta, Sarri and Co. can be truly called a Scudetto contender.