Ademola Lookman increases season tally but Atalanta failed to leapfrog Juventus in Fiorentina defeat

Atalanta and Fiorentina played their rescheduled Serie A fixture and it ended in a 3-2 defeat for La Dea, which prevented them from leapfrogging Juventus on the log.

Atalanta and Fiorentina reached the finals of the Europa League and Conference League, respectively, which caused their gameweek 29 Serie A fixture to be postponed. The fixture was rescheduled, and they played it today, but the outcome had negligible effect on the final Serie A standings.

Atalanta celebrated continental success, while Fiorentina endured heartbreak, losing their second straight UEFA Europa Conference League final. But in a rain-soaked Bergamo, it was Fiorentina, fresh off their struggles against Olympiakos, who struck first within six minutes. 

Andrea Belotti, with just one goal in his previous 20 appearances, latched onto Gaetano Castrovilli’s cross and surprised Marco Carnesecchi, who could not save low to his left.

Fiorentina's lead was short-lived, lasting only five minutes. Ademola Lookman, fresh from a hat-trick, was set free and confidently chipped over Tommaso Martinelli. The game remained lively, with Fiorentina regaining and then losing the lead again.

Nico Gonzalez volleyed home Cristiano Biraghi’s cross to restore their advantage, but young defender Giorgio Scalvini responded with a powerful shot from the edge of the box with his weaker foot.

Belotti scored his second just before halftime. After a corner, he capitalised on a rebound from Lucas Beltran’s shot to tap in from close range. The second half maintained its intensity, as Mario Pasalic struck the crossbar and substitute Aleksey Miranchuk narrowly missed after a promising buildup.

Ultimately, the match ended and Fiorentina secured a league double over Atalanta. Despite the loss, Fiorentina have Atalanta to thank for their UEFA Europa League victory, which means an 8th-place finish is enough for another shot at European competition next season.