Atalanta have strengthened their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season after beating Bologna 2-0 on Sunday in an important Serie A match.
The win, which took place at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, keeps Atalanta in third place, four points ahead of Bologna, who sit in fifth.
The home team scored early, with Italy striker Mateo Retegui netting a simple tap-in just three minutes after kick-off. Retegui was also involved in the second goal, delivering a perfect cross to Mario Pasalic, who scored with a fine volley in the 21st minute.
It was Retegui’s 26th goal in all competitions this season and Pasalic’s first league goal since November.
“I’m happy because it had been a few months that we’d not won here,” Pasalic told reporters. “We need to make our home matches count in the final weeks of the season. Scoring straight away really helped us because it gives you more freedom to play.”
Before Sunday, Atalanta had not won a Serie A home match since before Christmas. They also came into the match on a three-game losing streak without scoring a goal. This win ended that poor run.
The result was a blow for Bologna, who had been in good form. They had won five of their last six matches and earned a strong draw against Napoli last week. Bologna are still in the race for a Champions League spot, but this loss puts pressure on them in the coming weeks.
However, the win came with a concern for Atalanta. Defender Sead Kolasinac had to be stretchered off just before half-time with a knee injury. The Bosnian has faced many injury problems this season.
Later on Sunday, Roma and Lazio were set to meet in the Rome derby. Both teams are also chasing Champions League qualification. Roma are in seventh place, six points behind fourth-placed Juventus, while Lazio are just ahead of Roma in sixth.
