Italy center forward, Mateo Retegui, played a pivotal role as Atalanta secured a much-needed 2-0 victory over Bologna on Sunday, ending a three-match losing streak and reigniting their hopes of a Champions League spot.
The win pushed Atalanta back up to third in Serie A, while Bologna remained in fifth.
Atalanta now holds a two-point advantage over Juventus, which triumphed 2-1 against Lecce on Saturday, and a four-point lead over Bologna.
With only the top four teams qualifying for the Champions League, the competition remains fierce.
Retegui, who leads the league with 23 goals, opened the scoring early and then turned provider, setting up Mario Pasalic for a second goal just 20 minutes later.
Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi made a crucial save, palming a shot from Bologna’s Dan Ndoye off the post to preserve the lead.
Both of Atalanta’s goals came from swift counterattacks. Retegui first outmuscled a defender to convert a cross from Raoul Bellanova.
He then played a key role in the second goal, working his way past another defender on the right wing and delivering a pinpoint cross for Pasalic, who finished with a first-time strike.
Bologna had been unbeaten since February. The Rome derby was among the matches scheduled for later in the day.
