Atalanta suffered their second defeat of the 2023/24 Serie A season, going down 3-2 to Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. An open-ended contest in Tuscany could’ve just as easily gone their way, but Gian Piero Gasperini’s men gave La Viola one too many chances.
When Teun Koopmeiners opened the scoring early on, Atalanta looked to be on course to post back-to-back Serie A wins after demolishing Monza 3-0 before the international break. Little did La Dea know they would trail Fiorentina by a goal at halftime, yet the home side’s blitzkrieg caught them by surprise.
Ademola Lookman’s equalizer eight minutes into the second half offered Atalanta a lifeline. However, Cristian Kouame landed a knockout blow after coming off the bench, dampening the visitors’ spirits ahead of their impending Europa League return.
Polish champions Rakow will visit Bergamo in a few days, which could be a welcome distraction for Atalanta. In the meantime, Gasperini delivered his verdict on a wave of insults thrown at him by the Fiorentina ultras during the game.
“These two clubs are always fighting for the same targets, six years out of seven it has gone better for us, so I understand Fiorentina fans are frustrated to see Atalanta overtake them,” he said, as quoted by Tuttomercatoweb.
“They treat us like a big club, these are the insults that usually are reserved for the most important teams. It’s not pleasant, but at times does feel like the pot calling the kettle black,” the Atalanta coach finished.
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