Marco Brescianini’s Late Heroics Secure Vital Point for Atalanta in Thrilling Stadio Olimpico Clash
Atalanta continues to make waves in Serie A this season, and their dramatic 1-1 draw against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico was no exception. An 88th-minute equalizer from Marco Brescianini not only denied Lazio a rare back-to-back home triumph against the Bergamo club but also restored Gian Piero Gasperini’s side to the top of the league table.
Coming into this match on the back of a club-record 11 straight league victories, Atalanta's title charge has been nothing short of spectacular.
In contrast, it was Lazio that dominated the early stages, with Mattéo Guendouzi coming agonizingly close to opening the scoring when his curling effort came off the crossbar.
Marco Baroni’s men kept the pressure high, exploiting a shaky Atalanta defense, and eventually found the breakthrough via a clever lobbed pass from Nicolò Rovella that set up Dele-Bashiru for a composed finish.
The attacking power of Atalanta hardly imposed itself during the first half. Lazio was tactically disciplined, and the commanding presence of Rovella in midfield neutered the usual dynamism of the visitors.
The first 45 minutes ended with Lazio firmly in control and left Atalanta looking for answers.
The second half belonged to Atalanta's resilience.
Indeed, on the hour, Ademola Lookman was just a few centimeters away from leveling, but again, a magnificent save by Ivan Provedel denied them. Still, though the Lazio defense was finding its best way of keeping the visiting team at bay, they would not find their attacking rhythm again, while the miss by Dele-Bashiru from 10 yards thus became one of the defining moments in the match.
Atalanta finally wore them down, the clock ticking down, after which Lookman's direct play caused chaos in that Lazio box.
Pellegrini made a heroic clearance off the goal line, which was followed by the ball finding its way to Brescianini, a midfielder who made no mistake with the finish to seal an important point for Atalanta.
The draw keeps Lazio in the top four, six points behind Atalanta, who edge past Inter by a single point to reclaim the Serie A summit.
Although Atalanta has played a game more than their nearest rivals, their unbeaten run and never-say-die attitude underline why they are serious contenders in this season's thrilling title race.
A result that did not only reinforce the resilience of Atalanta but also set the stage for a fight at the top that will be really intense in the weeks to come in Serie A.