Atalanta

BERGAMO — Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya secured his side a hard-earned point with a sensational penalty save in a 0-0 draw away to Atalanta in their Champions League opener on Thursday.

Spaniard Raya dived low to his right to beat out Mateo Retegui's spot kick in the 51st minute then sprang across his goal to claw away the forward's follow up header.

David Raya double save vs Atalanta

Atalanta have done what no team had accomplished all season: they defeated Bayer Leverkusen. A historic Ademola Lookman hat trick vs Leverkusen paired with terrific defending was enough to secure Atalanta’s 3-0 victory and their first European trophy.

This was Atalanta’s first major trophy since winning the Coppa Italia in 1963. The Italian underdogs lost in the Coppa Italia final to Juventus this season but bounced back with an even larger reward.

United States men’s national team stars Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah helped Juventus win the club’s 15th Coppa Italia title with both players featuring in a 1-0 victory vs. Atalanta on Wednesday.

Despite seeking the trophy for the 15th time, Juventus were the underdogs coming into the match against an Atalanta side seeking their first Coppa Italia since 1963.

Juventus haven’t had the best 2024 so far with a rough stretch of games, failing to win their previous six heading into the final.

Atalanta fans making the journey from Bergamo to see their team play Austrian side Sturm Graz in the Europa League, made a stop in Maribor, Slovenia, not to visit the city's famous castle but to surprise a former player on Thursday.

Ex-players can come in for many different forms of treatment from their former fans, but Josip Ilicic, who spent five years at Atalanta, is still very much in the hearts of the club's supporters.

Serie A returned last week and goals came standard along with a healthy dose of drama. Inter scraped past newly promoted Lecce thanks to a 95th-minute goal by Denzel Dumfries, Dušan Vlahović and Ante Rebić both scored twice, and Napoli thrashed Verona 5-2 to go top of the league from the off.

This week, expect more of the same as most big-name clubs take on lesser-known opposition with a few exceptions, all on Paramount+.

Italy's Serie A has appointed Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi for the 2022-23 season as its first female referee.

The 31-year-old Ferrieri Caputi became the first female to referee a match involving a Serie A team last year — Cagliari’s Italian Cup clash with Cittadella.

She will now referee a top-flight match for the first time next term after joining the league's officiating team on Friday.

Serie A has appointed its first female referee.

History will show that it was Rafael Leão's 56th-minute match-winner on the penultimate matchday of Serie A play that kept AC Milan on course for its first Scudetto since 2011, but years down the road, the lasting memory of the Rossoneri's vital 2-0 victory over Atalanta will certainly be Theo Hernández's own personal recreation of Diego Maradona's "Goal of the Century" in the 75th-minute.  

Eighteen-year-old Moustapha Cissé scored his first two Atalanta goals with the composure of a veteran striker.

The first came from a looping through ball, which Cissé took one touch to control before providing a steady low finish inside the far post. The second came on a well-placed, one-touch shot after some strong interplay with a teammate on the edge of the penalty area.

Milan U19 - Atalanta U19 pic.twitter.com/6VLc3BohBl

A crucial Serie A encounter in the race for Champions League football between Atalanta and Juventus ended 1-1 at Stadio di Bergamo on Sunday night.

With both sides struggling for fluidity in the attacking third, it looked like a 0-0 outcome was inevitable as we entered the final 15 minutes. Juve's rearguard had been highlighted by the play of Matthijs de Ligt and Danilo, and it was the two Old Lady defenders who'd prove instrumental in both goals.