Atalanta’s European dream continues with Mattia Caldara brace

The bar has been raised at Atalanta.

Not only is the provincial squad dreaming of a place in Europe but it has the Champions League within its sights after winning at Napoli 2-0 yesterday to move to within three points of the third-placed side in Serie A.

Defender Mattia Caldara again stole the show with a goal in each half. Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie was sent off moments before Caldara's second, following two bookings in quick succession.

It ended Napoli's run of 14 league matches without defeat.

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini admitted last week that a win against Napoli would change his side's objectives, and that new aim will be tested in its next two matches against Fiorentina and Inter.

Atalanta's achievement is even more impressive given that it relies mainly on young, homegrown talent.

Caldara, who was signed by Juventus last month but loaned back to Atalanta until 2018, is only 22, while Andrea Petagna, Andrea Conti and Alberto Grassi are the same age or younger. They all came through the youth ranks together at the Bergamo-based club.

Petagna scored in a 1-0 win over Napoli this season but Maurizio Sarri's side had only lost one match since October — a 3-1 defeat at Real Madrid in the

Serie A

Yesterday first leg of its last-16 Champions League clash.

Napoli hit the crossbar twice in the first half, and Atalanta reached halftime up 1-0 after a corner bounced through to Caldara and he nodded it in.

Atalanta continued to press although its chances of getting a second appeared to diminish when Kessie was sent off in the 67th. But Caldara doubled his tally three minutes later, volleying Leonardo Spinazzola's dinked cross into the bottom left

Serie B

Friday Yesterday corner.

Napoli fought to get back into the match and Jose Callejon should have done better but headed wide from point-blank range.

In the late game Juventus made another step towards their sixth successive title with a home win against Empoli.

Juventus scored both their goals in the second half, through an own goal from Skorupski on 52 minutes and Alex Sandro on 65 minutes.

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