Soccer Football - Serie A - Cagliari v Atalanta - Unipol Domus, Cagliari, Italy - December 14, 2024 Cagliari's Yerry Mina in action with Atalanta's Mateo Retegui REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo
CAGLIARI, Italy (Reuters) -Atalanta set a club record with their 10th consecutive Serie A win when they beat Cagliari 1-0 on Saturday and extended their lead at the top of the standings thanks to Niccolo Zaniolo's goal and their keeper's heroics.
The win moved Atalanta to 37 points, five ahead of Napoli who play away to Udinese later on Saturday, while Cagliari remain 15th in the standings on 14 points.
Cagliari were the better side in the opening half but Atalanta's Marco Carnesecchi kept the game scoreless with several fine saves and the keeper also denied the home team a late equaliser.
Atalanta's run looked in danger of coming to an end as they struggled to find a breakthrough until substitute Zaniolo netted in the 66th minute, two minutes after coming off the bench.
The home side looked the more likely to break the deadlock as the first half went on, with Cagliari forward Roberto Piccoli, on loan from Atalanta, the danger man, but Carnesecchi was equal to everything that came his way.
Three times he denied Piccoli, including a double-save when Nadir Zortea had an initial shot from close range parried away before the keeper stopped Piccoli's effort from the rebound.
The visitors made three changes at the start of the second half and they had an early chance which Mario Pasalic put over the keeper, and the bar, from inside the six-yard box.
Atalanta increased the pressure, with Cagliari keeper Alen Sherri saving Odilon Kossounou's effort but, with his side still struggling to create any clear-cut chances, manager Gian Piero Gasperini sent on his final two substitutes.
The gamble paid off when Cagliari failed to clear Lazar Samardzic's cross in the box, the ball came to Raoul Bellanova who laid a pass back to the unmarked Zaniolo and he made no mistake with his first-time shot.
Ademola Lookman could have doubled Atalanta's lead but his effort come back off the inside of the upright and Cagliari pressed for a late equaliser but Carnesecchi was there again with a reflex save in added time from Sebastiano Luperto.
Atalanta were made to work for the three points but once again Gasperini's side proved themselves to be real Scudetto contenders.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; editing by Clare Fallon)
