Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty and a stunning Lautaro Martinez finish allowed Inter to take all three points in Bergamo, despite a late Atalanta fightback.
La Dea were in fourth place and yet to concede at home this season, but had Jose Luis Palomino and El Bilal Toure on the treatment table. Marko Arnautovic and Juan Cuadrado didn’t make the trip, though the Nerazzurri were unbeaten against Atalanta in all competition since November 2018.
After a period of pressure, the hosts threatened when Davide Zappacosta’s cross was flicked on for the Matteo Ruggeri volley that flashed wide of both the far post and Teun Koopmeiners.
Berat Djimsiti’s free header was charged down on a corner, but there was bad news when Benjamin Pavard was accidentally caught in a three-way collision with Ademola Lookman and Koopmeiners, falling awkwardly and hurting his left knee.
Inter received a penalty soon after, as Hakan Calhanoglu’s inspired pass sent substitute Matteo Darmian clear and he was wiped out by Juan Musso. Calhanoglu converted low into the near bottom corner, the first goal Atalanta conceded at home this season.
Calhanoglu almost added another, stinging Musso’s gloves from distance, while Nicolò Barella was accidentally caught on the head when he and Berat Djimsiti both slipped.
Mkhitaryan won back the ball to spark a Dimarco screamer that skimmed the far top corner with Musso well beaten.
Lautaro Martinez had the ball in the net, but was offside when redirecting the wayward Francesco Acerbi finish from six yards.
Atalanta seemed to shift tactics to a rare four-man defence, but conceded a second in spectacular fashion. Lautaro Martinez got down the left and feinted a cross for Thuram, but instead cut inside Hans Hateboer and placed a magnificent right-foot curler into the far top corner from just inside the box.
However, Dimarco was caught napping on the edge of his own penalty area by Lookman, who stole the ball and rolled it across for the Gianluca Scamacca tap-in.
Atalanta were revitalised and Yann Sommer flew to make a tough one-handed save on the sudden Lookman daisy-cutter from distance.
Sommer then flapped at a cross, but did well to get down and parry the Scamacca rebound that flashed through a sea of legs.
Denzel Dumfries was sent clear through the middle by Barella, only to fire straight at Musso, as the Atalanta siege continued. However, Rafael Toloi received his second yellow card for hauling down Alexis Sanchez.
Down to 10 men, they still pushed for an equaliser, Hateboer and Scamacca headers both just wide at the back post.
Atalanta 1-2 Inter
Calhanoglu pen 40 (I), Lautaro Martinez 57 (I), Scamacca 61 (A)
Sent off: Toloi 91 (A)
Player statistic
| Marten de Roon |  |
26' | ||
| Sead Kolasinac | |
35' | ||
| 40' |  |
Hakan Calhanoglu |
| 57' |  |
Lautaro Martínez (Assist: Henrikh Mkhitaryan) | ||
| Gianluca Scamacca (Assist: Ademola Lookman) |
|
61' | ||
| Rafael Tolói | |
85' | ||
| 89' | |
Denzel Dumfries | ||
| Rafael Tolói |  |
90+2' |
Match statistic
