Udinese had the better chances in the first half, then held on under siege as Atalanta tried everything, but couldn’t find a way past Marco Silvestri.
La Dea were feeling the pressure after losing three of the last four rounds, with Giorgio Scalvini joining Duvan Zapata and Hans Hateboer on the treatment table. Davide Zappacosta pulled out in the warm-up, so Matteo Ruggeri started instead. The Friulani had Kingsley Ehizibue suspended with Gerard Deulofeu and Enzo Ebosse out long-term following knee surgery.
These sides drew 2-2 back in October, when Atalanta fumbled a 2-0 lead late on, but Udinese had just one win in their last 16 Serie A games.
Sandi Lovric should’ve done better when blasting wide from a tricky angle on the Beto assist, while Isaac Success also fired off target from the edge of the area.
Juan Musso had to sprint off his line to deny Beto one-on-one, grabbing the ball off his foot with one hand, after a Berat Djimsiti error sent the striker clear.
Joakim Maehle couldn’t steer a deflected cross on target at the back stick and Marco Silvestri smothered a long-range Teun Koopmeiners daisy-cutter. However, the Dutch midfielder injured his left thigh during that shot and made way for Ederson.
At the dawn of the second half, Ederson unleashed a ferocious strike that Silvestri beat away for a corner, while Maehle charged down Beto’s scorcher with his face.
Silvestri used his legs to parry an Ademola Lookman angled drive at the near post, then got down for a one-handed save on Ruggeri’s strike, while Rodrigo Becao used his body as a shield to prevent Mario Pasalic tapping in the Maehle pull-back.
It was all Atalanta, Marten de Roon’s volley into the ground bouncing wide, a rare Udinese counter seeing Florian Thauvin scuffing his finish at Musso.
Pasalic’s toe-poke from the edge of the area was deflected inches wide, but Silvestri made a desperate flying fingertip save to deny Rafael Toloi’s strike in the final minute.
Atalanta 0-0 Udinese
Player statistic
| 35' |  |
Sandi Lovric | ||
| 42' | |
Rodrigo Becão | ||
| Éderson | |
44' | ||
| Berat Djimsiti | |
45+2' |
| 78' | |
Festy Ebosele |
Match statistic
