Atalanta salvages late draw at Lazio to extend run
Serie A leader Atalanta needed an 88th-minute equaliser to salvage a point from a difficult trip to the Italian capital that ended in a 1-1 draw against fourth-placed Lazio.
Substitute Marco Brescianini was gifted a tap-in by team-mate Ademola Lookman, who beat the offside trap to provide the assist after Lazio had looked the better side for much of the contest.
Indeed the first half was dominated by the hosts, Fisayao Dele-Bashiru smashing home the opening goal of the contest on 27 minutes as Atalanta struggled to gain any momentum.
But it was no less than Lazio deserved. The vistors might have gone behind earlier than they did were it not for a combination of good work by goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi and the crossbar, which Matteo Guendouzi struck with a fine effort.
While Atalanta improved in the second period with the introduction of substitutes Juan Cuadrado and Odilon Kossounou from the bench, it was made to work for every inch of progress by a determined Lazio outfit.
Indeed when Lookman was denied twice on the line late in the game, it appeared it was going to be Lazio's night, but the African footballer of the year proved key to the equaliser that ensured Atalanta remained unbeaten in 13 matches, although it's 11-match winning run was halted.
Nevertheless, Gian Piero Gasparini's side remains top of the Serie A standings on 41 points, but the gap to defending champion Inter Milan in second place has been cut to one point after the Nerrazzurri beat Cagliari 3-0 earlier in the day to move above Napoli, which is third, three points ahead of Lazio.
The top two will meet next weekend in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-finals, and while that last-four clash won't affect the Serie A standings, it could provide a significant psychological edge to the victor in the race for the Scudetto in 2025, which remains as close as it has been in years.
Atalanta in the meantime can look back at the calendar year with satisfaction.
In May, it beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 to win the UEFA Europa League under Gasperini, courtesy of a Lookman hat-trick.
Atalanta also registered both its record number of wins (36) in a single calendar year in all competitions since the 1929-1930 season and its record number of goals scored (127) during 2024.
Its 41-point tally after 18 games in this season's Serie A is also four points more than it has collected in any other season in the Italian top-flight.
