Mario Pasalic confirmed he is a Spezia nightmare by completing the comeback from 2-0 down, as Atalanta snatched a point.
La Dea saw out 2022 with four defeats in five games, including three on the bounce, and resumed without injured Juan Musso and Merih Demiral, plus Hans Hateboer only fit for the bench. Spezia missed Daniele Verde and Bartlomiej Dragowski.
It was an aggressive start from the hosts, who took the lead when M’Bala Nzola got down the right and rolled across for Emanuel Gyasi, who got in front of Rafael Toloi to tap in from six yards at the near post. It was his first Serie A goal of the season.
Jeroen Zoet flapped at a cross to get it just beyond Teun Koopmeiners at the back stick, then rushed off his line to close down Duvan Zapata one-on-one. The Spezia goalkeeper came off worse and, with Dragowski also injured, was replaced by 20-year-old third choice Petar Zovko.
The newcomer had to make a fingertip save on Duvan Zapata’s header, but the striker also eventually limped off and replacement Rasmus Hojlund drilled just wide.
However, Spezia doubled their lead when Medhi Bourabia won back the ball in midfield and immediately sent Nzola clear to spring the offside trap.
Zovko made a sensational rush off his line to fingertip the ball off the feet of Rasmus Hojlund clear on goal, celebrating it with the Spezia fans as if he’d scored.
It was end to end, as first Kelvin Amian made an acrobatic clearance to deny Ademola Lookman, then Jose Luis Palomino sprinted back to tackle Nzola as he was again going clear on goal.
Nzola was unfortunate to have a foul given against him for the shoulder-to-shoulder on Palomino, then had a poor first touch on another counter-attack.
Spezia thought they had got their third when Atalanta failed to clear and Holm knocked it down for Ethan Ampadu to put his foot through the half-volley. However, the Wales international had his celebrations cut short by a Gyasi offside earlier in the move.
Ampadu threatened again with a curler that skimmed the crossbar, but Atalanta got back into it when Hojlund held off Jakub Kiwior and managed to turn, blasting the finish under inexperienced goalkeeper Zovko.
Daniel Maldini juggled the ball on his thigh to turn and volley just over the bar, but Hojlund almost made it 2-2 with an angled drive that skimmed the base of the far post.
Deep into stoppages, Atalanta completed the comeback when Koopmeiners floated a ball to the back post, where Mario Pasalic ghosted between defenders to tap in from point-blank range.
Spezia 2-2 Atalanta
Gyasi 8 (S), Nzola 31 (S), Hojlund 77 (A), Pasalic 92 (A)