Charles De Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca proved enough to give Atalanta victory away to Lecce and guarantee Champions League qualification after a three-year absence.
La Dea lost the Coppa Italia Final to Juventus on Wednesday, but were trying to secure fifth place in Serie A and gearing up for the Europa League Final against Bayer Leverkusen on May 22. Teun Koopmeiners was suspended, with Marten de Roon, Sead Kolasinac and Emil Holm injured. The Salentini had already guaranteed top flight safety and felt ready to celebrate, though Nicola Sansone, Lameck Banda, Mohamed Kaba and Kastriot Dermaku were unavailable.
See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.
Aleksei Miranchuk tested Wladimiro Falcone in the opening minutes, then the goalkeeper made an extraordinary save from point-blank range on the Mario Pasalic dinked finish when sent through by El Bilal Toure.
Lecce responded with Juan Musso forced into a save on Roberto Piccoli at the near post, but Gianluca Scamacca stung Falcone’s gloves from the edge of the box too.
The chances kept coming at both ends and Valentin Gendrey went off injured, Patrick Dorgu hitting a fresh-air shot on the Lorenzo Venuti cross.
Davide Zappacosta had a double opportunity, the first blocked by Venuti, the rebound blasted inches wide of the far top corner.
Dorgu had the ball in the net on the stroke of half-time, but was narrowly caught in an offside position on the pass over the top.
Lecce wasted a huge opportunity straight after the restart when Krstovic ballooned over from 14 yards on the Piccoli roll across and it proved doubly disastrous for them, as Atalanta scored moments later.
It was practically the first touch for substitute De Ketelaere, who gathered the Scamacca through ball to hold off Gallo and put a smart lob over the on-rushing Falcone.
Charles De Ketelaere scores just two minutes after coming off the bench for Atalanta 🔥
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/jyHKEPXjxw
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 18, 2024
Atalanta doubled their lead in chaotic fashion, as Scamacca got a glancing header on the corner and it perhaps took a deflection off Pongracic, but Falcone made a complete mess of his intervention and flapped at thin air.
In double quick time, Gianluca Scamacca adds Atalanta's second 😮💨
The #UEL finalists mean business…
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/HX0Xo5ROCj
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 18, 2024
There was almost a third straight away, Isak Hien nodding inches over from another corner, as did Berat Djimsiti.
Piccoli was about to set up a tense finale at the 86th minute when his low free kick nearly surprised Atalanta goalkeeper Juan Musso and bounced off the base of the upright. He also scuffed wide with Djimsiti block after Rafael Toloi was caught in possession.
Lecce 0-2 Atalanta
De Ketelaere 47 (A), Scamacca 53 (A)
Player statistic
| 26' |  |
Hans Hateboer | ||
| 37' | |
El Bilal Touré | ||
| 44' | |
Mario Pasalic |
| 48' |  |
Charles De Ketelaere (Assist: Gianluca Scamacca) | ||
| 53' | |
Gianluca Scamacca (Assist: Aleksey Miranchuk) | ||
| 67' | |
Rafael Tolói |
