MILAN: Atalanta kept up their bid for Champions League football with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Monza on Sunday, fresh from knocking Liverpool out of Europe.

Charles De Ketelaere’s header just before half-time and a beautifully taken finish from El Bilal Toure in the 72nd minute moved Atalanta to within one point of fifth-placed AS Roma.

A top-five finish in Serie A guarantees a spot in next season’s Champions League thanks to Italian clubs’ strong performances in continental event.

Earlier, Lecce took a huge leap towards safety from relegation with a thumping 3-0 win at Sassuolo.

Lecce are 13th, seven points above the bottom three after a second straight win against direct rivals for the drop which came through early goals from Valentin Gendrey and Patrick Dorgu and Roberto Piccoli’s 61st-minute strike.

Published in Dawn, April 23nd, 2024