Atalanta vs Sassuolo

Atalanta opened their Serie A season with a hard-fought win over Sassuolo at the Gewiss Stadium, needing a late reply to hold off a spirited visiting side. The home crowd barely had time to sit down before Giacomo Raspadori put them ahead with a stunning early finish. Raspadori struck in the 6th minute, pouncing on a sloppy clearance and lashing a shot off the underside of the crossbar after being teed up by Gianluca Gaetano. Sassuolo hit back through Cas Odenthal in the 55th minute, converting from close range off a flicked-on throw-in. But substitute Nikola Krstovic restored the lead just ten minutes later, seizing on a defensive mix-up to make it 2-1. The win gave Maurizio Sarri his first three points as Atalanta boss, easing pressure after a shaky Conference League draw, despite a growing injury list. For Sassuolo, débutant coach Alberto Aquilani saw his side's positives undone again, leaving them still searching for their first league points.