Atalanta rout Inter to end unbeaten run

MILAN: Gianluca Mancini scored for a third consecutive game as Atalanta ended Inter Milan’s unbeaten run with a 4-1 victory on Sunday which sees Luciano Spalletti’s title-chasers drop from second to third in Serie A.

Mancini headed in after 62 minutes in Bergamo to add to Hans Hateboer’s eighth-minute opener, with Berat Djimsiti (88) and Alejandro Gomez (90+4) sealing all three points for the hosts.

Inter captain Mauro Icardi had equalised when he slotted in a penalty just after the break, but his side finished with 10 men after Marcelo Brozovic was sent off two minutes into injury time.

Spalletti’s side had been chasing their eighth consecutive league win but came up against a dogged Atalanta, who extended their winning run to four games, moving up to seventh to boost their Europa League hopes.

“It’s an important push to keep going forward. We won against a powerful team, which was coming off seven wins in a row,” Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said. The hosts dominated Inter from the outset on a muddy pitch in Bergamo and after Hateboer’s opener they could have been further ahead but for some fine Samir Handanovic saves.

NAPOLI SPLASH THEIR WAY TO BEAT GENOA 2-1

MILAN: Napoli earned a 2-1 win at Genoa in Serie A on Saturday, defying a pitch made almost unplayable by a torrential downpour early in the second half.

Christian Kouame gave Genoa a half-time lead but, after play was halted for around 10 minutes early in the second half until the rain stopped, Fabian Ruiz levelled and Genoa’s Davide Biraschi put through his own net.

SHAARAWY STARS IN ROMA VICTORY

ROME: In the Stadio Olimpico, Stephan El Shaarawy scored a second-half brace with Juan Jesus and Patrich Schick also on target as Sampdoria fell to a third straight defeat.

The win means Roma now have 19 points from 12 games.