Serie A | Atalanta 3-0 Sassuolo: Unstoppable Dea

Atalanta made it five Serie A wins in a row, seven on home turf, but had a scare when Marco Carnesecchi saved the Sassuolo penalty twice.

La Dea welcomed Ederson back from suspension, although Ademola Lookman and Jose Luis Palomino were still injured. The Neroverdi had one point from four rounds and missed Domenico Berardi, Jeremy Toljan and Martin Erlic.

Kristian Thorstvedt wasted a good chance in the opening minute by drilling wide, but then the hosts began their siege with Emil Holm failing to steer on target at the back post from a free kick, Davide Zappacosta’s angled drive parried by Andrea Consigli’s legs and then Charles De Ketelaere pulling back from the left for Aleksei Miranchuk, a scuffed finish cleared off the line by Thorstvedt.

Zappacosta again stung Consigli’s gloves, but the goalkeeper was eventually beaten when Holm rolled across for Miranchuk, Consigli got a glove to the finish and Mario Pasalic reacted quickest to the rebound.

Sassuolo tried to fight back, Armand Lauriente testing Marco Carnesecchi from distance, then at the 31^st minute the goalkeeper made a desperate reaction save to push the Matheus Henrique effort onto the crossbar from a corner.

Sead Kolasinac’s volley hit the side-netting, then Consigli used his feet to parry the Holm header at the back post on Zappacosta’s cross.

In first half stoppages, Thorstvedt’s header flicked on to the wrist of Giorgio Scalvini and a penalty was awarded following the VAR review. Berardi had converted all five of Sassuolo’s spot-kicks this season, but was injured, so Andrea Pinamonti stepped up.

His effort was saved by Carnesecchi, but VAR noted it had to be retaken due to encroachment on the clearance. So Pinamonti changed angle to the near post and Carnesecchi saved it a second time.

Zappacosta again tested Consigli and Pasalic ballooned over after the resulting corner, but Atalanta doubled their lead with a wonderful team move.

It started from midfield, was moved right to left until the ball was laid off for Teun Koopmeiners to steer the finish first time into the far top corner with the inside of the left boot from 14 yards.

Pasalic scuffed over from a corner kick, then Consigli again used an outstretched boot to intercept the Miranchuk roll across from six yards.

Mitchel Bakker came off the bench and scored with practically his first touch, although the shot might’ve been going wide if not for the massive deflection off Marcus Pedersen to wrong-foot Consigli.

Bakker almost added another, leaping above Pedersen to nod the Zappacosta cross just wide. It really should’ve been 4-0 in stoppages for Gianluca Scamacca, who was denied by an extraordinary Consigli reaction save.

Atalanta 3-0 Sassuolo

Pasalic 22 (A), Koopmeiners 58 (A), Bakker 75 (A)

Saved penalty: Pinamonti 45 (S)