June 2, (THEWILL)- Atalanta’s hopes of finishing in third place in Serie A were dashed on Sunday, as they suffered a 3-2 defeat against Fiorentina even with a fine shift by their in-form Ademola Lookman.
The result was overshadowed by an apparent knee injury to defender Giorgio Scalvini, raising concerns about his availability for Italy at Euro 2024 in less than two weeks.
The Europa League winners found themselves behind early when Andrea Belotti put Fiorentina ahead within six minutes. Lookman equalised soon after, but Nicolas Gonzalez restored the Viola’s lead with a fine volley. Scalvini levelled the scores with a thunderous strike, but his afternoon ended prematurely as he was stretchered off following the injury.
Belotti had put Fiorentina 3-2 up just before half-time after a scramble in the Atalanta box. Despite their efforts, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men could not find an equaliser in the second half as their push for third place fell short on the final day.
The result means Atalanta finish fourth in Serie A. However, they still punched their UEFA Champions League qualification ticket for the fifth time in their history. Attention will now turn to Italy’s Euro 2024 opener against Spain on June 16 with Scalvini’s fitness concerns being a sour note.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
