Atalanta paid a heavy price for leaving Ademola Lookman on the bench, falling 3-2 to newly promoted Como in a dramatic Serie A encounter on Tuesday night.
Lookman, introduced in the second half, converted a late penalty but couldn’t save his side from a shocking defeat at the Gewiss Stadium, Footballrover reports.
This fixture had been rescheduled just a day earlier after heavy rain made the pitch unplayable, but it was Atalanta who came out firing from the start.
The home side grabbed an early lead in the 18th minute when Davide Zappacosta pounced on a poorly cleared corner and drilled a low shot past the defence.
FULL TIME | Triplice fischio al Gewiss Stadium.
Not the result we wanted, we move forward.@acqua_lete | #AtalantaComo 2-3 FT #GoAtalantaGo ⚫️🔵 pic.twitter.com/eOYGJ9slQ1
— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) September 24, 2024
Despite the early setback, Como quickly found their rhythm and put the Atalanta defense under pressure, with Patrick Cutrone twice testing stand-in goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.
Gabriel Strefezza also came close, narrowly missing from a tight angle as Atalanta’s goal lived on borrowed time.
Como’s persistence paid off in the second half, as they scored three goals in a 13-minute blitz that turned the game on its head.
Just 22 seconds into the restart, Strefezza smashed home the equalizer, taking full advantage of a slick backheel pass from Sergi Roberto.
Atalanta were left reeling when Nico Paz’s shot took a cruel deflection and found the net, and Alieu Fadera piled on the misery with a composed finish after leaving Marten De Roon chasing shadows.
Atalanta’s response was sluggish at best, and though Lookman’s coolly taken penalty in the 98th minute gave them a glimmer of hope, it came far too late to inspire a comeback.
Guardiamo avanti.
Focused on the next one.#AtalantaComo #GoAtalantaGo ⚫️🔵 pic.twitter.com/xRKng6rJcp
— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) September 24, 2024
The Nigerian international, who replaced Mateo Retegui in the 55th minute, showed his quality by notching his second goal of the season.
But his late strike wasn’t enough to change the outcome as Atalanta slumped to their third loss in five league games.
Despite dominating possession, Atalanta failed to make their superiority count, ultimately succumbing to a well-organized Como side that made the most of their chances.
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