Atalanta suffered their second consecutive Serie A defeat as Cagliari secured a shock 2-1 victory at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, with former AC Milan striker Daniel Maldini converting the decisive penalty on 61 minutes. The visitors took the lead on 19 minutes when Paul Mendy finished off Michel Adopo's through-ball, slotting past Marco Carnesecchi. Atalanta responded before the break, with Gianluca Scamacca equalising on 41 minutes after a lung-busting run from Charles De Ketelaere, his shot deflecting off a defender and into the far corner. In the second half, Mendy thought he had scored again on 52 minutes, but the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review. The decisive moment arrived on 61 minutes when referee Alberto Arena awarded a penalty for a handball by Sead Kolasinac. Maldini, on loan from Milan, stepped up and sent Carnesecchi the wrong way with a composed finish. Atalanta pushed for an equaliser and Lazar Samardzic hit the post, but Cagliari held on for a famous win. Atalanta dominated with 22 shots and 62% possession, while Cagliari managed just 4 attempts. Scamacca was named man of the match. With nine points from four games, Cagliari climb to 2nd, while Atalanta drop to 9th with six points. Can Atalanta bounce back against Juventus next week?
