Sunday, 15 September. Atalanta 3 – Fiorentina 2. Coming out of the September International Break, both Atalanta and Fiorentina found themselves on three points from three games, and eager to improve. Fiorentina started the game well, and at the quarter-hour mark, a Cristiano Biraghi right corner was only cleared to Rolando Mandragora at the top of the box. He put the ball into the 6-yard box, and while Marco Carnesecchi managed a point blank save on Robin Gosens’s resulting header, Lucas Martínez Quarta bundled the ball across the line to put Fiorentina ahead.

It was another Fiorentina right corner, just 5’ later, that allowed Carnesecchi to claim the ball and release Ademola Lookman up the left on a counter. His perfectly placed cross found Mateo Retegui, heading home his fourth goal in as many games to draw Atalanta level. 10’ after that, at the half-hour mark, a left cross in from Mandragora was just ahead of Gosens, attempting a header at the near post; but with Carnesecchi drawn to the danger, Gosens was able to touch the ball on to Moise Kean for a tap-in at the far post to restore Fiorentina’s lead.

Not long after, Kean hit the post from an attack down the left. But right before halftime, Mandragora conceded a free kick on the right flank, and Charles De Ketelaere made a towering jump above Luca Ranieri to head in Éderson’s delivery. That set Atalanta up to enter halftime level, but in the sole minute of stoppage time, De Ketelaere was able to send a ball down the left for Lookman to chase. Getting into the box, Lookman scored a goal of individual brilliance at the near post to put Atalanta ahead going into the break. It was a harsh end for Fiorentina, who had probably had the better of the half.

From the start, the second half was an open, two-way affair with chances for both sides. It remained that way throughout, and David de Gea was solid in goal for Fiorentina, keeping them in touching distance. In the end, however, Atalanta’s first half lead was enough to see them through.

Though Atalanta would get only one point from their last two games in September, October would see a four-game winning streak take them to third place in the table. Fiorentina, similarly, would see an eight-game winning streak from October to early December take them to fourth in the table, though only one point from their final three games of the year would see them drop to fifth.