Serie A | Atalanta 2-2 Udinese: Scamacca double to rescue a point

Gianluca Scamacca scored two headers in five minutes for Atalanta to claw back a point against Udinese, after Thomas Kristensen and Keinan Davis efforts.

La Dea were stretched thin by being the only team still in three tournaments, as they held Lazio 2-2 in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday, and were preparing for the Champions League Round of 16 with Bayern Munich. Their Serie A form suffered with a 2-1 loss at Sassuolo, but they remained in the race for the top four. Ederson and Giorgio Scalvini were struggling, with Charles De Ketelaere still out, but Giacomo Raspadori returned to the bench. Udinese ended their run of three straight defeats by crushing Fiorentina 3-0, but missed Oumar Solet, Nicolò Bertola and Alessandro Zanoli, so Branimir Mlacic got his first Serie A start just days before his 18^th birthday.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Kingsley Ehizibue’s strike flashed just wide, as did the Gianluca Scamacca strike, while Marco Carnesecchi was alert on the looping Nicolò Zaniolo cross-shot that was going into the far top corner.

There were appeals for a potential Mlacic handling offence, but the Kamaldeen Sulemana cross hit his elbow, with the arm behind his back.

Lorenzo Bernasconi gave away an avoidable corner and it proved costly, because Thomas Kristensen shrugged off Odilon Kossounou for a glancing header from six yards on Zaniolo’s set play, giving Udinese the lead against the run of play.

Scamacca was unlucky not to equalise at the dawn of the second half, his low drive from the edge of the box thumping the base of the upright.

Instead, Udinese doubled their lead in chaotic fashion. Sead Kolasinac acrobatically intercepted a Zaniolo low cross from the left inside the six-yard box, and charged down the Oier Zarraga effort, but could do nothing as Davis bent the finish around him and Carnesecchi into the far bottom corner.

Atalanta switched to 4-4-2 and Sulemana’s diving header was off target from a Bernasconi cross, while Nikola Krstovic drilled wide on a Davide Zappacosta assist.

The siege eventually paid off when Nicola Zalewski swung a cross from the left for a Scamacca free header from six yards.

Udinese crumbled, as Maduka Okoye’s poor pass out from the back under pressure was intercepted, he made the save on Lazar Samardzic, but could do nothing when Scamacca nodded in the rebound to complete the comeback in just five minutes.

La Dea wanted all three points, Okoye getting down to fingertip a Krstovic daisy-cutter round the post for a corner.

Udinese also threatened, as Arthur Atta’s long-range thunderbolt grazed the crossbar, and Carnesecchi rushed out to smother at the feet of Adam Buksa.

Deep into stoppages, Jurgen Ekkelenkamp wasted a golden opportunity with a finish charged down from 13 yards.

There was controversy, as Atalanta had a corner with the last kick of the game, but the referee blew for full time before they could take it. Raffaele Palladino was furious and went over to check the timer held by the fourth official.

Atalanta 2-2 Udinese

Kristensen 39 (U), Davis 55 (U), Scamacca 75, 79 (A)