Zapata double rescues Atalanta against Ajax

BERGAMO: Duvan Zapata scored a quick-fire double to help Atalanta rally to a 2-2 draw at home to Ajax in the Champions League.

Dusan Tadic had converted a penalty and Lassina Traore was again on target to give Ajax a 2-0 halftime lead before Atalanta fought back after the break with two goals in six minutes.

“We didn’t change our way of playing in the second half, it was just in the first half we didn’t manage to finish off our chances,” Zapata said.

“We knew we were having a great game and we told ourselves we just needed a bit of luck, it’s a shame we didn’t manage to score the third.

“I’ve scored better doubles but today was the one that counted the most.”

Atalanta slipped to second in Group D, two points behind Liverpool after the Premier League champion beat Midtjylland 2-0. Ajax are a further three points further back.

Atalanta were a surprise quarter-finalist last season, in their first-ever season in the Champions League, and they beat Midtjylland 4-0 last week.

The hosts were playing their first Champions League match in

Bergamo. Atalanta had played at San Siro in Milan last season while their Gewiss Stadium was being renovated. No fans were allowed in Tuesday after new restrictions were introduced in Italy this week because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Atalanta had lost their last two Serie A matches while Ajax had made headlines on Saturday with a record 13-0 win in the Dutch league, with Traore scoring five.

Atalanta gifted Ajax the opener on the half-hour as Robin Gosens attempted a clearance and instead caught Traore in the chest. Tadic fired the resulting penalty into the bottom right corner.

The hosts were also at fault for the second, eight minutes later, as goalkeeper Marco Sportiello could only fumble at a cross and Traore tapped it in from close range.

Atalanta pulled one back nine minutes after the break when a shot was deflected into the path of Alejandro “Papu” Gomez and he crossed back in for Zapata to head in at the back post.

Zapata doubled his tally six minutes later, running onto a good ball by Mario Pasalic and blasting it past Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Zapata has scored five goals in 10 Champions League matches.