Atalanta’s hopes of maintaining pressure on the Serie A leaders were dashed as they were held to a 1-1 draw by a determined Torino side at the Gewiss Stadium. The match, which saw both goals come from defenders, was marked by missed opportunities and a crucial penalty save.
The home side, still buoyant from their midweek Champions League exploits in Barcelona, started brightly but suffered an early setback when goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi was injured in the warm-up, forcing Rui Patricio into action. Their injury woes were compounded when Sead Kolasinac was forced off with a thigh problem.
Atalanta thought they had taken the lead through Raoul Bellanova, but VAR intervened to rule out the goal for handball. The hosts did eventually break the deadlock when Berat Djimsiti headed home from a corner, but their joy was short-lived as Guillermo Maripan equalized with a free header from a set-piece.
The match’s turning point came when Mateo Retegui was presented with a golden opportunity from the penalty spot. However, Torino’s goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic produced a spectacular save, his third penalty stop of the season, to keep the scores level.
Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, Atalanta couldn’t find a way through Torino’s resolute defense. The introduction of Gianluca Scamacca, making his return after a long-term injury, provided a late spark but wasn’t enough to secure the win.
The draw leaves Atalanta frustrated in their pursuit of the top spots, while Torino will be pleased to extend their unbeaten run to six matches. As the Serie A season intensifies, both teams will look to build on this result in their upcoming fixtures.
Goals: Djimsiti 35 (A), Maripan 40 (T)
Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac (30′ Toloi); Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri (58′ Cuadrado); De Ketelaere (58′ Pasalic), Brescianini (58′ Samardzic); Retegui (85′ Scamacca).
Torino (4-2-3-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Pedersen (46′ Walukiewicz), Maripan, Coco, Sosa; Ricci, Tameze (75′ Gineitis); Karamoh (63′ Njie), Vlasic, Lazaro (85′ Masina); Adams (63′ Sanabria).
