Atalanta relentless even with Torino, another Napoli flop
The European fate of several teams is fulfilled on the Sunday that closes Serie A.
Atalanta relentless even with Torino, Napoli dry-mouthed even with Lecce. The two matches of the last day of Serie A played at 6 p.m. define the European fate of the teams on the field and beyond. In fact, the boxes are now set in view of the Champions League (Roma will not be able to participate in it), while the fate of the Italian teams in the Europa League and Conference League has yet to be defined.
In Bergamo, the fresh winners of the Europa League imposed themselves with the result of 3-0, leaving no chance to a Torino that took the field with a more massive turn over than Atalanta itself. The result è a de facto one-way game, already closed in the first half. Merit of two of the protagonists of Gian Piero Gasperini’s European ride: they are Gianluca Scamacca, who on 26' scores with a nice turn on Charles De Ketelaere’s action, and Dublin hero Ademola Lookman, who doubles on 43' in tap-in after an awkward Gemello rebound on Pasalic’s attempt.
The resumption remains one-sided: Scamacca is denied a double by the position of the ball crossed by De Ketelaere, beyond the goal line by inches, Lookman by a foul seen by Sozza and later by an offside call. Then the same Nigerian national earned a penalty, converted by Pasalic in the 70'. Then Bergamo, with Atalanta surely fourth and potentially third in Serie A, celebrates the Europa League, but Torino also smiles: the Conference League è still possible.
Should Fiorentina win in the Athens final, it would in fact be the granata who would qualify for Europe and not Napoli. In fact, the Azzurri’s 0-0 draw at home against Lecce makes it arithmetic that they are in tenth place in the standings on equal points with Torino, ninth thanks to direct clashes. And once again for the Parthenopean formation there is no shortage of regrets.
Against Lecce comes in fact an opaque performance but not without willà. If in fact the guests start off better, with Dorgu chipping the post, Napoli tries to react but once again struggles to unlock the scorer’s table. Simeone, Olivera, Kvaratskhelia tried at length in the first half, in the second half the same Georgian, Ostigard, Raspadori, and especially Cajuste and Ngonge made themselves dangerous, hitting the post and the crossbar respectively. It ends 0-0, and next season will see the Azzurri out of any European competition.
