Atalanta held by Verona before Reds decider, Anderson to leave Lazio
Atalanta are four points behind fifthplaced Roma with a top-five finish almost certain to yield a spot in next season’s revamped edition of Europe’s top club competition
Atalanta threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with struggling Verona on Monday with their Europa League decider against Liverpool looming on the horizon.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were comfortably leading at half-time following a superb seventh goal in eight matches from in-form Gianluca Scamacca in the 13th minute and Ederson’s simple finish shortly afterwards.
However goals in four second-half minutes from Darko Lazovic and Tijjani Noslin had 17thplaced Verona level on the hour mark and one point above the relegation zone with a host of teams still batling against the drop to Serie B.
Dropping two points at home to lowly opposition damaged Atalanta’s bid for Champions League football.
Atalanta are four points behind fith-placed Roma with a top-five finish almost certain to yield a spot in next season’s revamped edition of Europe’s top club competition.
They will need to pick themselves up for the visit of Liverpool to Bergamo on Thursday.
Atalanta have one foot in the Europa League semi-finals ater humiliating Liverpool 3-0 in last week’s first leg at Anfield.
Earlier, Fiorentina were held to a 1-1 home draw by Genoa before the visit of Viktoria Plzen in the Europa Conference League as the game marked by VAR decisions against both teams on Monday.
The draw extended Fiorentina’s winless run to five league matches and let it in 10th place, trailing in the race for European competitions next season.
The first VAR decision went Genoa’s way when Fiorentina’s Andrea Beloti had a 26th-minute goal chalked off for offside.
That roused Genoa to take the lead three minutes before haltime through a penalty from Albert Gudmundsson. Fabiano Parisi was adjudged to have felled Caleb Ekuban. It was the Icelander’s third goal in three games.
However, Jonathan Ikone equalized nine minutes into the second half for Fiorentina with a nice header.
With 70 minutes gone, the referee awarded the home side a penalty only to change his mind ater a video review.
Genoa remained in 12th place, well clear of the relegation zone but with litle chance of securing a European place.
Meanwhile, former Brazil international Felipe Anderson said on Tuesday that he will leave Lazio at the end of the season to return to his home country with Palmeiras.
“I didn’t come to an agreement with the club for a contract extension so I will be going in another direction,” Felipe Anderson said on X.
“I promise that I will continue to give 100 percent until the final day of my contract.”
Palmeiras then announced the signing of the 31-year-old, who has two caps for his country and has played the majority of his career at Lazio, without specifying the length of his contract.
Earlier, the media reported just a few days ago that a potential move to Juventus on a free transfer was very much on the table, with only final details to work out and agree to.
While Juventus brought forward a proposal forward that reportedly included a three-year contract, the 31-year-old Anderson has decided to head home and sign with Brazilian club Palmeiras.
Anderson reportedly decide to spurn Juventus’ interest in favor of going back to South America and being closer to his family.
Anderson has scored six goals in Serie A this season and has been a key man for Lazio since returning to the Rome-based club from West Ham in 2021.
He had previous played for Lazio between 2013 and 2018 before being sold to Premier League team West Ham.