Atalanta saw their run of 11 straight Serie A wins ended by a Fisayo Dele-Bashiru strike for Lazio, but Marco Brescianini snatched a late point for the leaders.
La Dea spent Christmas on top of the table unbeaten since a 3-2 with Como on September 24 and went into the Stadio Olimpico without Mateo Retegui, Gianluca Scamacca and Matteo Ruggeri, but also gearing up for the Supercoppa Italiana against Inter on January 2. The Aquile recovered from a bruising 6-0 loss to Inter by winning in Lecce, but Tijjani Noslin, Pedro, Manuel Lazzari and Matias Vecino were injured.
See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.
Lazio started very aggressively and had an extraordinary triple opportunity, as Marco Carnesecchi made two big saves in quick succession on Taty Castellanos, then could only watch as the Matteo Guendouzi curler thumped the far post.
Davide Zappacosta’s volley flashed inches wide from the edge of the area, but Lazio took a deserved lead when Nicolò Rovella’s ball over the top saw Fisayo Dele-Bashiru react quicker than Marten de Roon and Sead Kolasinac, letting it bounce to blast in with the right boot.
On the stroke of half-time, Zappacosta’s cross only grazed both the head of Mario Pasalic and Berat Djimsiti’s boot at the back post, flashing inches wide.
Juan Cuadrado came on for the restart and should’ve equalised on 53 minutes, his header onto the side-netting at the far stick on Raoul Bellanova’s cross when Atalanta had three players lining up to meet it.
Ademola Lookman also nodded a Bellanova cross wide and Ivan Provedel got down to fingertip a Lookman angled drive round the post, as Atalanta started to pour forward.
Lazio also wasted the opportunity to equalise when Boulaye Dia failed to connect with a low Castellanos cross from six yards on the counter-attack.
Lookman thought he had scored on 75 minutes when Ederson flicked on Cuadrado’s corner to the back post, but Luca Pellegrini made a desperate goal-line clearance from point-blank range.
Dia managed to turn Djimsiti to sting Carnesecchi’s gloves, but Atalanta’s pressure finally paid off at the 88th minute. Nicolò Zaniolo flicked it on to the back post for Lookman, who generously rolled it across for substitute Marco Brescianini to tap in from four yards. He was not offside, because he started the run behind the line of the ball.
Lazio 1-1 Atalanta
Dele-Bashiru 27 (L), Brescianini 88 (A)
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