MILAN – Atalanta’s hopes of competing for the Serie A title seem to evaporate as they face the threat of slipping out of the league’s top four after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Lazio on Sunday. This marks the third consecutive loss for Gian Piero Gasperini’s squad, placing them 10 points adrift of league leaders, Inter Milan, and initiating concern regarding their standing on the Serie A table.
Presently in third place, Atalanta maintains a mere two-point lead over Bologna, who sits in fourth. A single point behind Bologna are Juventus and Lazio, adding to the highly competitive nature of the top-tier positions this season. In an ensuing match, Bologna is set to face Napoli, who occupy the second position in the league standings on Monday, while Juventus is scheduled to face Roma on Sunday as Igor Tudor steps in for his second game managing the Bianconeri.
For Lazio, this triumph brought a much-needed lift in spirits, breaking their sequence of matches without a win that spanned more than a month. The opening half witnessed both sides showing a lack of confidence, leading to cautious gameplay. Atalanta demonstrated renewed energy after halftime and quickly created two opportunities; however, it was Lazio goalkeeper Chr?stos Mandas who astounded the crowd with an impressive save, denying Atalanta’s leading scorer Mateo Retegui from close range. It was Gustav Isaksen, a halftime substitute, who eventually scored for Lazio nine minutes into the second half, utilizing a flick-on assist by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to scuff a shot past Atalanta’s keeper Marco Carnesecchi.
In the ongoing relegation battle, Lecce managed to secure a draw, finishing 1-1 against Venezia after enduring the ire of their home supporters. Federico Baschirotto secured the equalizer for Lecce in the 65th minute, following a setback where home defender Antonino Gallo inadvertently scored an own goal at the start of the second half. This result keeps Lecce just outside of the relegation zone, two points above Empoli, who settled for a goalless draw against Cagliari. Venezia lingers in the second-last position, trailing Lecce by five points.
Simultaneously, Torino’s Che Adams saw his penalty saved in a home encounter that ended 1-1 against Hellas Verona, concluding an intriguing weekend in Serie A.