Serie A | Atalanta 1-0 Verona: Zappacosta boost for Dea hope

Davide Zappacosta’s strike proved enough for Atalanta to get the better of Verona on a special day for club legend Marten de Roon.

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La Dea were eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern Munich midweek, and losing ground in Serie A after just two points from three rounds. Gianluca Scamacca also suffered a fresh injury blow, but Charles De Ketelaere and Giacomo Raspadori were finding fitness again. Hellas missed Armel Bella-Kotchap, Domagoj Bradaric, Sandi Lovric and Suat Serdar.

It was a special day for Marten de Roon, who became Atalanta’s all-time record man with 436 appearances.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Lorenzo Montipò flew to palm away the towering Nikola Krstovic header, but he was beaten when Davide Zappacosta rolled across the six-yard box, saved by a sensational Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro block to prevent the Ederson tap-in.

Atalanta did take the lead when Davide Zappacosta drilled hard and low from the edge of the area through a sea of legs, taking a deflection on the way through and bending back the goalkeeper’s gloves into the far bottom corner.

It should’ve been 1-1 at the dawn of the second half when Kieron Bowie just flicked on the Rafik Belghali cross from six yards, but was denied by an astonishing Marco Carnesecchi reaction save.

De Ketelaere sent Krstovic clear on goal after intercepting a wayward Gift Orban pass, but the striker’s lob bounced off the top of the crossbar as Montipò came rushing out.

The Verona goalkeeper had to be alert on a Mario Pasalic cross-shot, but Hellas really should’ve equalised on 77 minutes when Orban had time and space to control a knockdown only to fire over from 12 yards.

Orban also tested Carnesecchi from the edge of the area, while Belghali lost his balance when dribbling into the area and his finish was charged down by Isak Hien.

Atalanta 1-0 Verona

Zappacosta 37 (A)