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Hopes of Atalanta challenging for the Serie A title suffered another setback on Saturday after being held to a 1-1 draw by Torino. The draw came after Italy striker Mateo Retegui missed a crucial penalty in the 74th minute, allowing Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic to preserve the stalemate. Milinkovic-Savic has now saved all three penalties he has faced this season, adding frustration to Atalanta’s failed efforts to close the gap on the leaders.
The draw leaves Atalanta in third place, six points behind league leaders Napoli, who are set to face Roma on Sunday night. Inter Milan, the reigning champions, are also three points behind Napoli but with a game in hand, as their match against Fiorentina was postponed in December following an unfortunate incident where Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch.
Atalanta have only managed seven points from their last six league games, meaning they are slipping further behind, while Napoli and Inter have found top form.
The match appeared to be heading in Atalanta’s favour when Berat Djimsiti scored off a Raoul Bellanova corner just before halftime. However, Guillermo Maripan equalised five minutes later, and Torino managed to hold out for the draw. Despite a few chances, Atalanta struggled to break down a resilient Torino defence, and Milinkovic-Savic played a pivotal role in keeping the home side at bay, even mocking the frustrated home crowd after saving Retegui’s penalty.
The result leaves Torino comfortably in 11th place, extending their unbeaten run to six matches, with five of those ending in draws.
