ARGENTINE STRIKES: Inter’s Lautaro Martinez ended an eight-match scoring drought at Cagliari, in a Serie A match which the Milan team won with three second-half goals
AFP, ROME
Atalanta BC kept hold of top spot in Italian Serie A on Saturday after escaping SS Lazio with a 1-1 draw which kept Inter at bay, but ended their club-record league winning streak at 11 matches.
Marco Brescianini tapped home into an open goal with two minutes remaining to snatch a point from the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, where a passionate crowd thought a big win was coming their way.
Instead, Atalanta would end a historic year a point ahead of Inter, who have a game in hand, after the champions briefly drew level on points with a 3-0 win earlier at Cagliari.
Atalanta BC’s Juan Cuadrado controls the ball during their Italian Serie A soccer match against SS Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Saturday.
Photo: AP
UEFA Europa League holders Atalanta would lead the league even if Napoli beat Venezia yesterday and draw level on 41 points with Gian Piero Gasperini’s side who have a significantly better goal difference than the 2022-2023 champions.
Should two teams finish level at the top of Serie A come the end of the season, they would face off in a single match to decide the destination of the Scudetto, which Atalanta have never won.
“We struggled for long periods in the first half, but we were much better in the second,” Atalanta coach Gasperini said. “This year has been the best year in Atalanta’s history, let’s hope we can make 2025 the same.”
Inter’s Lautaro Martinez, right, scores their second goal during their Italian Serie A game against Cagliari Calcio at Unipol Domus in Cagliari, Italy, on Saturday.
Photo: Reuters
Atalanta showed great character to battle back from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s 27th-minute goal which came in an intense opening period from Lazio.
The away side were initially blitzed by Lazio, with Marco Carnesecchi making two sensational stops before Matteo Guendouzi curled a great strike off the post in the 11th minute.
However, as the match wore on, Atalanta, who were without injured star striker Mateo Retegui, grew into the game and deservedly drew level in front of a boisterous and hostile crowd in the Italian capital.
Brescianini netted his third goal of the season thanks largely to Ademola Lookman, who made up for earlier missing from yards out by beating Lazio’s offside trap, meeting Nicolo Zaniolo’s hooked pass and rolling across to his teammate to salvage a precious point.
Next up, Atalanta travel to play the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where they are to face Inter on Thursday.
Lautaro Martinez on Saturday ended an eight-match scoring drought at Cagliari Calcio, netting the second in an engaging contest in Sardinia which Inter won with second-half goals from the Argentina striker, Alessandro Bastoni and Hakan Calhanoglu.
Inter have won their last five in Italy’s top flight, scoring 19 and conceding just once, a burst in form which has re-established Inter as favorites to retain the Scudetto.
The only thing missing for Inter were goals from captain Martinez, who had not scored since Nov. 3 before he prodded home Nicolo Barella’s cross in the 71st minute.
“The most important thing is that Inter win. If I get a goal too, then that’s a bonus,” Martinez said. “We work hard every day to win trophies, and anyone who sets foot on the pitch will give their all for the team. We’ve just got to keep going and make 2025 like this year.”
