Atalanta loses at home to struggling Spal in Serie A

Mattia-Valoti-Atalanta

Mattia Valoti celebrate after score in the Atalanta vs Spal soccer match Monday, Jan. 20, 2020 in Bergano, Italy. (Gianluca Checchi/LaPresse via AP)

BERGAMO, Italy — Atalanta surprisingly lost 2-1 at home to relegation-threatened Spal in Serie A on Monday, in one of the upsets of the season.

Atalanta had won both its previous two home matches 5-0 and would have gone back into fourth spot with a win, while Spal was mired at the bottom of the table.

The home side took the lead in the 16th minute when Duvan Zapata rolled a pass across the goal and Josip Ilicic backheeled into the bottom right corner.

Both sides hit the woodwork but Spal turned things around in six second-half minutes.

Andrea Petagna levelled against his former club in the 54th and Mattia Valoti netted a solo goal shortly after.

Atalanta laid seige to Spal’s goal but the visitors held on for the win. They remained in the relegation zone but moved up to 18th, one point from safety.

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