Soccer resumed Sunday’s poignant Serie A match in one of the Italian cities hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic as Atalanta gave a much-needed boost to Bergamo residents.
In its first Series A match in 112 days, Atalanta beat Sassuolo 4-1 and the first in Bergamo since 15 Feb.
The game was at stadium Atleti Azzurri in Bergamo. All matches are played in empty stadiums. Some fans were outside the Gweiss Stadium at Atalanta and could be heard chorusing against the governing body of the league.
Atalanta beat Sassuolo in the match for the 25th round of the Italian championship with a score of 4:1. After strikes by Berat Djimsiti and Duván Zapata, and an own goal by Sassuolo midfielder Mehdi Bourabia, the match was all but over by half-time.
Atalanta also had struck the crossbar and ruled out a goal for handball. Zapata added a second after the break and Atalanta also had penalty appeals swept away on a close call by the video assistant referee. The decision incensed Gasperini so much that he was sent away for the opposition. Bourabia made up for its own mistake by scoring in stoppage time at the right end.
Atalanta stayed fourth in the fight for the final Champions League spot but climbed six points above Roma. Atalanta has earned 51 points and is fourth in the Serie A standings. Sassuolo is 12th with 32 points.
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini who announced last month that he had acquired COVID-19 promised to make the Bergamo people smile again before the match.
