Milan — Atalanta’s tough month began on a disappointing note as they managed only a 0-0 draw against Udinese in Serie A on Saturday.
The situation could have been dire for Atalanta had Alexis Sánchez not squandered an excellent chance to give Udinese the lead just before halftime.
The Chilean forward headed a cross onto the right post and, despite being in the perfect position, hit the rebound off the crossbar from only six meters out.
Atalanta struggled to find their rhythm throughout the match, creating limited opportunities, and relied on goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi, who delivered an impressive save during the first half.
Despite the lackluster performance, Atalanta remains in second place, trailing Napoli by two points.
Napoli, the league leaders, are scheduled to play against struggling Hellas Verona on Sunday. They are also just two points ahead of Inter Milan, which faces Venezia, another team fighting to escape the relegation zone.
Looking ahead, Atalanta is set to contend with Juventus and then Napoli in their upcoming Serie A fixtures.
Additionally, they have Champions League matches lined up against Sturm Graz and Barcelona within the month.
Juventus, on the other hand, settled for another draw in Serie A, as they faced Torino in a derby match that ended 1-1.
This marks Juventus’ sixth draw in their last seven league outings.
Tensions escalated early in the second half, leading to both coaches being sent off after a heated exchange triggered a confrontation along the sidelines.
Juventus took the lead in the eighth minute thanks to an impressive solo effort from Kenan Y?ld?z, who skillfully evaded two defenders while cutting in from the right and then drove a shot into the near bottom corner.
However, Torino equalized during first-half stoppage time with a spectacular goal from Nikola Vlasic, who elegantly controlled a pass from Yann Karamoh and struck it in off the inside of the left post from the edge of the penalty area.
In the relegation battle, Nikola Krstovic scored two goals, steering Lecce to a vital 3-1 victory over fellow relegation contender Empoli.
This win lifted Lecce to 13th place, equaling Empoli’s points and gaining a three-point cushion above the relegation zone.
Sérgio Conceição, fresh from leading AC Milan to victory in the Italian Super Cup, began his Serie A coaching journey with a match against Cagliari on Saturday evening.
