Title chasers Atalanta held by Juve, Milan hand Conceicao late Serie A win

Mateo Retegui salvaged a point for Atalanta with a close-range header 12 minutes from time, not long after returning to action from the bench following four weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

The Italy striker's finish, which levelled Pierre Kalulu's 54th-minute opener for Juve, put him out on his own at the top of the Serie A scoring charts on 13 goals and pushed Atalanta to 43 points, ahead of table-topping Napoli's crucial trip to Bergamo this coming weekend.

Gian Piero Gasperini's side, who are bidding for their first league title after winning the Europa League last season, sit level on points with second-placed Inter Milan. However, champions Inter have two games in hand on both Atalanta and Napoli and play the first of those fixtures against Bologna at the San Siro on Wednesday.

"It was a great match tonight, and I'm very happy with the way my boys played," said Gasperini to Sky. "It was difficult going behind because we were hoping to go ahead but I think at the end of the day a draw is probably a fair result."

Tuesday's draw was Atalanta and Juve's rescheduled fixture due to their trip to Saudi Arabia to contest the Italian Super Cup earlier this month with Inter and winners AC Milan. Juve were again without a recognised striker due to an injury crisis which has left both Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik sidelined but Thiago Motta's side were a constant threat.

Moments before his opener Kalulu watched on in frustration as his glancing header hit the inside of the post and was just scooped off the line by Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.

And Kenan Yildiz put wide a great chance to snatch a last-gasp win deep in stoppage time, shortly after substitute Nicolo Zaniolo slapped a golden opportunity for the hosts straight at Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.

"To draw like that in the closing minutes hurts a bit. We played well and had the chances to win today," said Kalulu. Juve remain unbeaten but have now drawn 13 of their 20 league fixtures and sit fifth, 13 points behind Napoli.

 

January 14, 2025

Conceicao success

Earlier, Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao saved Milan from an embarrassing defeat at Como with the goals which gave Sergio Conceicao's new team a 2-1 win. Trailing to Assane Diao's fine low strike on the hour mark, star players Hernandez and Leao turned the match around by the 76th minute, handing Conceicao his first league win as Milan coach.

Tuesday's victory in one of their two games in hand moved Milan up to seventh on 31 points, five behind fourth-placed Lazio as Conceicao tries to reignite the Italian giants' bid for Champions League qualification. "They (Como) are a good team with a good coach, it's not easy to play here," said Conceicao.

"It was an even game but we can't concede as much as we did, we need to be more organised." Left flank pairing Hernandez and Leao had reportedly been at loggerheads with Conceicao's predecessor Paulo Fonseca, who was sacked at the end of December following a dismal opening half of the season.

Both praised their new coach after he arrived just before the new year and immediately won the Super Cup for Milan, who came from two goals behind to beat Inter in Saudi Arabia earlier this month.

Hernandez levelled for Milan 11 minutes after Como new boy Diao's opener when his mishit volley sliced off his left boot and looped past goalkeeper Jean Butez. Leao dinked home the decisive goal shortly afterwards, meeting substitute Tammy Abraham's excellent through ball before netting his seventh goal in all competitions.