DUVAN ZAPATA EXTENDED his goal-scoring streak as Atalanta came from behind to beat Lazio 3-1 on Sunday to fuel their belief in a first-ever Champions League qualification.
The side from Bergamo are comfortably fourth and move to within one point of third-placed Inter Milan who were held to their third consecutive stalemate on Saturday with a goalless draw at Udinese.
Marco Parolo had opened the scoring for Lazio after just three minutes in the Stadio Olimpico but Colombian ace Zapata hit back on 22 minutes for his sixth goal in eight league games.
Timothy Castagne added a second just before the hour mark with Lazio’s Brazilian defender Wallace turning into his own net after 76 minutes.
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini hailed “a great achievement” at Lazio, insisting their self-belief has been gaining momentum since their 2-1 win at Napoli two weeks ago.
“We believed in a Champions League place, now we believe in it even more,” he said, after stretching their unbeaten run in Serie A to ten games.
Atalanta return to Rome again on 15 May for the Coppa Italia final, again against Lazio.
“I had already said I would choose the place in the Champions League, but raising a trophy is not an everyday thing,” said Gasperini.
“It’s not done yet, as there are Milan and Roma who are right up there. We’ve perhaps pushed Lazio behind now, but it’s still wide open.”
The battle for Champions League football remains tight with six teams in the running for the final two places.
Champions Juventus are assured of a berth with a 19-point lead on second-placed Napoli, who host Cagliari later Sunday, and are also positioned for top-tier European football next season.
Roma are fifth, four points behind Atalanta, before Claudio Ranieri’s side travel to Genoa later on Sunday, with Torino a further point back in sixth after a 1-1 draw against Juventus on Friday.
AC Milan are also distantly in the chase before hosting Bologna on Sunday, as they are seventh — six point off fourth place — with Lazio a further point behind in eighth.
Atalanta had the worst possible start when Parolo scored off a rebound minutes into the game.
Zapata threatened early on sending a shot over the bar but made no mistake at the second time of asking by latching onto a Remo Freuler cross to fire in.
The Colombian has scored one goal more than Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo, with 22 goals, and is three short of league top scorer Fabio Quagliarella of Sampdoria.
Lazio’s Champions League hopes, however, have faded with Simone Inzaghi’s side seven points adrift of top four with the Europa League also at risk.
In Parma, veteran striker Quagliarella scored a brace for Sampdoria in a 3-3 draw to extend his lead on top of the Serie A scorers to 25 goals.
At the bottom of the table, Frosinone join Chievo in Serie B next season after a 2-2 draw at Sassuolo. The side from outside Rome are ten points behind Udinese in 17th with three games left to play.
