Atalanta continued their excellent form in the Europa League with a 1-0 win over Ligue 1 side Lyon, to top Group E and go into Monday’s draw as one of the seeded teams.
The victory over the French club, through a solitary Andrea Petagna goal, caps a stunning return to European football for the Nerazzurri, who finish with 14 points from a possible 18.
Despite playing away from their Bergamo home at the Stadio Città del Tricolore in Reggio Emilia, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men gave another determined display that has typified their approach to the campaign.
Although looking off the pace in the first-half, though, it was Les Gones who nearly took the lead on three minutes, only for Mariano Diaz to fire a volley straight at goalkeeper Etrit Berisha from point-blank range.
Within a minute it was Atalanta’s turn to waste a clear goalscoring opportunity when Bryan Cristante headed a Papu Gomez cross wide from six-yards out, however, minutes later La Dea were in front.
Meeting a deep Leonardo Spinazzola cross first time, Hans Hateboer sliced his volley into the turf and as the ball looped back down into a group of players the slightest of touches from Petagna nudged the ball home.
At the start of the second period Lyon and starman Nabil Fekir showed significantly more desire to seal top spot, but despite forcing Rafael Toloi to bring him down on the edge of the Nerazzurri box, wasted the resulting free-kick.
With the French side beginning to take control of the match, it appeared as though an act of individual brilliance would be needed to extend Atalanta’s lead, but after finding space both Josip Ilicic and Petagna sent long-range efforts well off target.
When the Nerazzurri’s goalscoring hero was withdrawn 15 minutes from time, it was greeted with arguably the biggest cheers of the night and the match limped sluggishly to its conclusion, until Fekir rattled Berisha’s post with an injury-time set-piece.
Both sets of players thoughts clearing turning away from events on the pitch and starting to contemplate which part of the continent they may be visiting when the competition resumes at the Last 32 stage in February.
