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Atalanta, Inter fight for second place

Published:Wednesday | July 29, 2020 | 12:29 AM
Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Serie A match between Inter Milan and Napoli at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, yesterday.
Antonio Calanni
Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Serie A match between Inter Milan and Napoli at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, yesterday.

MILAN (AP):

Atalanta maintained their hopes of finishing second in Serie A as they came from behind to win 2-1 at Parma yesterday in the penultimate round of the season.

Ruslan Malinovskyi and Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez scored in the second half after former Atalanta midfielder Dejan Kulusevski had given Parma the lead.

Atalanta remained a point behind second-place Inter, which beat Napoli 2-0. Inter visit Atalanta in their last match on Saturday.

Lazio are four points below Inter. They host already-relegated Brescia today before ending their season at Napoli.

Juventus clinched a record-extending ninth successive Serie A title on Sunday but high-scoring Atalanta were targeting second spot and aiming to reach 100 league goals this season.

However, it was a lacklustre start from the visitors and Kulusevski fired Parma in front two minutes from halftime, following a through-ball from Gervinho. The 20-year-old had earlier hit the post.

Kulusevski made only three substitute appearances for Atalanta before moving to Parma on loan last year. The Sweden international impressed so much that Juventus signed him in January but loaned him back to Parma for the rest of the season.

Atalanta were unbeaten since the restart of Serie A and they levelled in the 70th minute with a free kick from Malinovskyi.

Gomez scored what was to prove the winner six minutes from time, nutmegging Jasmin Kurtić and driving into the bottom left corner. It was the Atalanta captain’s first goal since the two sides met in January.

It was a frantic final few minutes that included Atalanta defender Hans Hateboer clearing a shot off the line.

Inter also enhanced their chances of claiming second spot and avenged last month’s Italian Cup semi-final defeat to Napoli, which went on to lift the trophy.

Inter were aggressive from the start and took the lead in the 11th minute. Marcelo Brozović’s cross went over the head of Romelu Lukaku but was put back into the centre by Cristiano Biraghi for Danilo D’Ambrosio to slot home.

Napoli forced Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanović into a series of good saves before Inter all but sealed the result with a stunning goal from Lautaro Martínez. The Argentina forward gathered the ball in midfield, raced forward and curled into the bottom right corner from 20 yards out.