Serie A | Atalanta 1-1 Torino: Retegui must pay the painful penalty

BERGAMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 01: Mateo Retegui of Atalanta takes a penalty kick during the Serie A match between Atalanta and Torino at Gewiss Stadium on February 01, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images)

Mateo Retegui saw his penalty saved by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, as Atalanta were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Torino with Berat Djimsiti and Guillermo Maripan on target.

La Dea were fresh from a midweek 2-2 draw in Barcelona that booked their Champions League play-off spot, but lost Giorgio Scalvini for at least three months to a dislocated shoulder, joining Ademola Lookman and Odilon Kossounou on the treatment table. Marco Carnesecchi pulled out with a muscular issue in the warm-up, replaced by Rui Patricio. Toro were unbeaten in five and coming off a 2-0 win over Cagliari, but Ivan Ilic, Mergim Vojvoda, Zanos Savva, Duvan Zapata and Emirhan Ilkhan missed out, with new signing Eljif Elmas on the bench.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

Atalanta dominated the early stages and had the ball in the net on 21 minutes when Charles De Ketelaere broke down the left and Marco Brescianini stood up the cross for Raoul Bellanova, who controlled with his chest to fire in from seven yards. However, VAR disallowed it for his handling offence. As it was against his former club, Bellanova had not celebrated anyway, waving an apology to the Toro fans.

The injury crisis intensified with Sead Kolasinac limping off feeling a muscular twinge in his right thigh, replaced by Rafael Toloi.

Atalanta did get their goal soon after, with Berat Djimsiti getting in front of Saul Coco for a powerful header from six yards on the Bellanova corner.

However, the hosts were undone by a set play too, as Valentin Lazaro’s free kick found Guillermo Maripan surprisingly unmarked for the free header at the back post.

Atalanta continued to dominate the match, twice Marco Brescianini couldn’t quite finish off crosses from the right, first denied by Milinkovic-Savic from point-blank range, then deflected wide at the back post.

Atalanta had penalty appeals rejected for a potential Coco handling offence, while Lazar Samardzic and Juan Cuadrado had attempts from the edge of the area.

The referee did point to the spot when Adrien Tamese had a handful of Mateo Retegui’s shirt as a Mario Pasalic cross came in, but Vanja Milinkovic-Savic made the third penalty save of his season in Serie A, at full stretch to deny Retegui. The goalkeeper was booked for shouting towards the fans behind his goal and they responded by throwing objects, as the tension escalated.

Pasalic volleyed over from 12 yards, then got the first touch wrong when Bellanova rolled across from the right.

Gianluca Scamacca made his comeback 181 days after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during a pre-season friendly and immediately his header from a Cuadrado cross tested Milinkovic-Savic.

Cuadrado fired straight at the goalkeeper too, as La Dea dominated possession and chances, but only managed one point.

Atalanta 1-1 Torino

Djimsiti 35 (A), Maripan 40 (T)

Saved penalty: Retegui 74 (A)

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