Atalanta 1-1 Lecce: Retegui penalty helps hosts' Champions League push
Atalanta missed the chance to tighten their grip on third place in Serie A after drawing with Lecce in their quest for the Champions League.
The race to finish in the top four of the Serie A standings continued to heat up after third-placed Atalanta were held to a 1-1 draw by Lecce on Sunday.
Atalanta have 65 points and are five clear of Bologna in fifth, but they will be looking nervously over their shoulders after Juventus' 2-0 win over Monza earlier in the day.
The fixture was originally scheduled to take place at the Gewiss Stadium on Friday, but was rearranged following the passing of Lecce's physiotherapist 24 hours earlier.
Jesper Karlsson stunned the visitors in the 29th minute after tucking away a spot-kick after compatriot Isak Hien had handled the ball inside the area.
Though Atalanta had more shots than their opponents in the first half, they rarely troubled visiting goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone as they searched for an important leveller.
Gian Piero Gasperini's did restore parity through a penalty of their own. Mateo Retegui converted from 12 yards after Karlsson felled Juan Cuadrado in the 69th minute.
Retegui thought he had snatched victory for Atalanta in the closing stages, but his powerful header crashed against the woodwork and bounced away to safety.
Data Debrief: Retegui matches Inzaghi with latest Atalanta goal
Retegui has been the standout performer for Atalanta this season, with his penalty against Lecce bringing up his 24th goal in Serie A this campaign.
Indeed, the 25-year-old equalled Filippo Inzaghi (24 goals in 1996-97) as Atalanta's top scorer in a single season in Serie A in the competition's history.
It was also the Italian's fourth league goal against Lecce. Only against Hellas Verona (six) has he managed more in Serie A.
But it was another disappointing home display for Atalanta, who drew their fifth home game in 2025. Across Europe's top five leagues, that is the most, along with Lazio.