Nicolo Zaniolo’s second-half strike earned Atalanta a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Cagliari on Saturday, securing a club-record 10th consecutive Serie A win and extending their lead at the top of the table.
Zaniolo, coming off the bench, converted Raoul Bellanova’s cut-back in the 66th minute to seal the points for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side. The win moves Atalanta five points clear of Napoli, who play later on Saturday, and 10 ahead of Juventus, who face Venezia.
Despite the victory, Gasperini was critical of his team’s performance. “Winning 10 matches in a row doesn’t mean much if we don’t show consistent quality,” he told DAZN. “A good part of this team needs to adopt the same mentality as the core group to make big strides forward.”
Goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi was the hero of the day, making crucial saves before the break and denying Leonardo Pavoletti in stoppage time to preserve the clean sheet. Atalanta also came close to doubling their lead when Ademola Lookman hit the post shortly after Zaniolo’s goal.
Zaniolo’s strike, his third of the season, signals a resurgence for the 25-year-old Italian international, whose career was previously hampered by serious knee injuries. Once a rising star at Roma, Zaniolo has found new life at Atalanta following a challenging spell under Jose Mourinho and a subsequent move to Galatasaray.
Atalanta will remain atop the league at least until the next round, as Gasperini’s side continues their impressive campaign.
