MILAN: A second-half strike by Atalanta forward Rasmus Hojlund helped secure a 2-1 win at Bologna in Serie A on Monday, moving Gian Piero Gasperini’s side back into the top six.

Winger Riccardo Orsolini put Bologna ahead early in the game when he lashed the ball from the edge of the box in at the far post for his third Serie A goal this season.

Atalanta were unable to find an equaliser before halftime but levelled two minutes after the break through midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, who smashed the ball home from a distance.

Hojlund gave the visitors the lead in the 58th by lifting the ball over diving goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski to give Atalanta their first win in their last five league outings.

Atalanta, who drew 2-2 at Spezia last week on Serie A’s return after the World Cup break, lost three consecutive games in November, after going unbeaten in their first 10 matches of the season for the first time in their history.

Atalanta moved up to sixth spot, level on 31 points from 17 games with fifth-placed Lazio and AS Roma in seventh.

Earlier, Darko Lazovic brought Verona their first win since September on Monday with his first-half brace in a 2-0 home victory over fellow strugglers Cremonese.

Verona snapped a 10-match losing streak with last Wednesday’s draw at Torino and finally secured three points against a Cremonese team who are still winless after 17 games of their first top-flight campaign since 1996.

Lazovic struck with two neat finishes in the ninth and 26th minutes at the Stadio Bentegodi to continue a post-Christmas revival under new coach Marco Zaffaroni.

Verona are unbeaten in his two games in charge but Serie A safety will be a battle as they sit in the relegation zone on nine points, six behind 17th-placed Spezia.

Cremonese are two points behind Verona and Sampdoria in last place following their 10th defeat of the campaign.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2023