Atalanta extended their winless streak to six matches across all competitions following a 1-1 draw against Kairat Almaty in the third round of the UEFA Conference League. Despite controlling much of the play at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo, Maurizio Sarri’s side was forced to come from behind to secure a point. The first half saw Atalanta dominate possession, though they struggled to break down the Kairat defense. The visitors relied on counter-attacks, with goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi forced into a crucial double save on the half-hour mark to deny Mrynskiy and Mendonsa. Kairat broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute when Edmilson played a through ball to Marc Gual, who finished past Carnesecchi to put the Kazakh side ahead. Atalanta increased the pressure in response, eventually finding an equalizer in the 82nd minute. Following an imprecise clearance from Kairat goalkeeper Anarbekov on a corner kick, Obric redirected the ball into the box, where Krstovic scored from close range. Atalanta pushed for a late winner but could not find the decisive goal. The result leaves the Italian side with four points in the competition. Match Summary Atalanta 1-1 Kairat Almaty Scorers: 53’ Gual (K), 82’ Krstovic (A) Atalanta (4-2-3-1): Carnesecchi; Idele, Scalvini, Obric, Bernasconi (74’ Zappacosta); Elmas, Pasalic; Sulemana (46’ Ederson), Samardzic (58’ De Ketelaere), Rowe (58’ Zalewski); Scamacca (67’ Krstovic). Coach: Sarri. Kairat Almaty (5-3-2): Anarbekov; Mrynskiy, Shirobokov, Martynovich, Kassabulatt, Mata; Tuyakbayev (63’ Jukkola), Mendonsa, Oksanen; Marc Gual (74’ Tapalov), Edmilson (63’ Bekbolat). Coach: Arutyunyan. Referee: Weinberger. Elsewhere in the Conference League, Ajax secured a dominant 6-1 victory over Midtjylland, while Monaco, Twente, Lugano, and Panathinaikos all moved to nine points in the standings with respective wins. Brighton recorded a 1-0 away victory against Getafe, and Freiburg defeated Trabzonspor by the same scoreline.
Article source: Sport Mediaset | Image credit: Sport Mediaset