Atalanta’s European hopes hit by 2-0 loss at Torino

Atalanta lost ground in the race for a Champions League spot after a 2-0 defeat at Torino in Serie A on Saturday.

Goals either side of the break from Armando Izzo and Iago Falque consigned Atalanta to its second successive loss and left it seven points behind AC Milan, which currently occupies fourth place and the final Champions League qualifying berth.

Fifth-placed Roma can cut the gap to Milan to one point with a win at Frosinone later. Milan won 3-0 against Empoli on Friday.

Torino, which has European ambitions of its own, moved level on points with Atalanta and Lazio following another superb defensive display. It was its fifth successive match without conceding.

Torino broke the deadlock three minutes before halftime. A corner ricocheted around the box and, although Atalanta goalkeeper Etrit Berisha made a save, the ball came to Izzo and he finished it off from close range.

The home side doubled its tally less than a minute after the interval as Soualiho Meite put in a cross from the left for Iago Falque to drill into the bottom right corner.

Last-gasp Roma stun Frosinone

Edin Dzeko needed a last-gasp bundle over the line to give Roma this 3-2 victory away to Frosinone, but Kostas Manolas was stretchered off.

The Giallorossi needed a victory to keep up with fourth-placed Milan and break away from Atalanta, who lost to Torino this afternoon. Cengiz Under, Patrik Schick and Rick Karsdorp were still out of action, but Eusebio Di Francesco rested Federico Fazio, Alessandro Florenzi and Nicolò Zaniolo, largely because they were one yellow card away from a ban and next week it’s the Rome Derby.

In truth, this is also a regional derby, as Frosinone are in the Lazio region. The hosts had won two of their last four games, but both were away, and they missed Federico Dionisi, Paolo Ghiglione, Luca Paganini, Stefan Simic and Lorenzo Ariaudo.

It was the perfect start for the Canarini, as within five minutes they had taken advantage of a catalogue of errors to go in front. Steven Nzonzi’s sluggish pass was easily intercepted by Camillo Ciano, whose snapshot from distance seemed to be simple enough for Robin Olsen, but instead he palmed it up into the air and it looped over him into the empty net.

Ciano very nearly got a second moments later, firing over from close range as Andrea Beghetto’s cross went past everyone. Roma finally started to settle and Stephan El Shaarawy’s header was fingertipped out from under the bar by Marco Sportiello.

The Giallorossi got back on level terms, as Frosinone returned the favour with a howler of their own. Edoardo Goldaniga stood and watched the loose ball bounce, not noticing Edin Dzeko was right behind him to sneak up and fire in off the inside of the near post.