Atalanta secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Bologna on Sunday night, with Lazar Samardzic scoring deep into stoppage time to settle a closely contested Serie A encounter.
The game at the New Balance Arena appeared destined to end goalless after both sides struggled to make the most of their opportunities.
Bologna, despite dominating possession for long periods, created the clearer chances.
Marco Carnesecchi was forced into an excellent save from Lewis Ferguson’s close-range volley, while Niccolò Cambiaghi came agonisingly close when his powerful effort from outside the box struck the base of the post.
Atalanta also threatened through Gianluca Scamacca and Roberto Piccoli, but Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski kept his side in the contest.
Federico Bernardeschi tested Carnesecchi with a fierce effort, while Giacomo Raspadori fired over as both teams struggled to find a breakthrough.
Just when it looked like the points would be shared, Atalanta produced the decisive moment in the sixth minute of added time.
Samardzic collected the ball outside the penalty area, turned away from his marker and unleashed a curling left-footed effort that bounced just in front of Skorupski before finding the bottom corner.
The late strike secured all three points for Atalanta and spared them from what had been an underwhelming performance.
Bologna finished the match with 58 per cent possession and registered 16 shots compared with Atalanta’s six, but their inability to convert their chances ultimately proved costly.
The victory gives Atalanta a winning start to their Serie A campaign at home, while Bologna are left to rue another frustrating result after their opening-day defeat to Lazio.
