MILAN: Atalanta threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with struggling Hellas Verona on Monday with their Europa League decider against Liverpool looming on the horizon.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were comfortably leading at half-time following a superb seventh goal in eight matches from in-form Gianluca Scamacca in the 13th minute and Ederson’s simple finish shortly afterwards.

However goals in four second-half minutes from Darko Lazovic and Tijjani Noslin had 17th-placed Verona level on the hour mark and one point above the relegation zone with a host of teams still battling against the drop to Serie B.

Dropping two points at home to lowly opposition damaged Atalanta’s bid for Champions League football.

Atalanta are four points behind fifth-placed AS Roma with a top-five finish almost certain to yield a spot in next season’s revamped edition of Europe’s top club competition.

They will need to pick themselves up for the visit of Liverpool to Bergamo on Thursday.

Atalanta have one foot in the Europa League semi-finals after humiliating Liverpool 3-0 in last week’s first leg at Anfield.

Earlier, Fiorentina were held to a 1-1 home draw by Genoa before the visit of Viktoria Plzen in the Europa Conference League.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2024