• Giacomo Raspadori smashed the crossbar as Atalanta failed to score for the third time in four league matches.
• Genoa guaranteed their Serie A status for next season despite registering only one shot on target during the entire match.
• Junior Messias suffered a late thigh injury that left the visitors effectively playing with ten men for the final minutes.

Atalanta dominated possession and created numerous chances but lacked the precision to secure victory against a resilient Genoa side at the Gewiss Stadium. The hosts entered the fixture desperate to recover from a dismal run that brought just one point from their previous three league outings, coupled with a painful Coppa Italia semi-final elimination against Lazio.

Manager Gian Piero Gasperini reshuffled his attacking options, handing a start to Nikola Krstovic alongside Gianluca Scamacca. Krstovic had netted twice in the recent defeat to Cagliari, but the squad suffered a significant blow with defender Lorenzo Bernasconi ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a serious knee ligament injury.

Genoa arrived in Bergamo knowing that a positive result would confirm their mathematical safety. The Grifone sat comfortably above the relegation zone despite a recent loss to Como. Goalkeeper Justin Bijlow shook off a muscular twinge to start between the posts, though creative midfielder Tommaso Baldanzi remained sidelined.

The opening stages saw both sides test the opposing keepers. Vitinha forced an early stop from the Atalanta goalkeeper, while Krstovic also went close with a snapshot. The Portuguese midfielder later threatened on the counter-attack, but a timely block from Lorenzo Colombo deflected his effort over the bar.

Atalanta carved out the clearer opportunities as the first half wore on. Ederson squandered a glorious chance when he failed to control Davide Zappacosta’s inviting pull-back from the left flank. Moments later, Charles De Ketelaere exchanged passes with Giorgio Scalvini before firing an angled drive that Bijlow almost allowed to squirm underneath him.

Genoa’s best moment arrived when Jeff Ekhator unleashed a powerful first-time strike, only for Scalvini to produce a magnificent block to preserve the deadlock. At the other end, Krstovic attempted a clever near-post flick from a set-piece, but the Dutch goalkeeper read the danger comfortably.

The second half continued in similar fashion with the home side pressing for the opener. Their best opportunity came in the 79th minute when substitute Raspadori unleashed a thunderous strike from the edge of the penalty area that crashed against the crossbar.

Earlier, the Italian international had wasted a golden chance to break the deadlock. Bijlow spilled a powerful long-range effort from Ederson, but Raspadori reacted to the loose ball by prodding it straight at the recovering goalkeeper rather than into the unguarded net.

Genoa’s task grew more difficult in the closing stages when winger Junior Messias pulled up with a thigh strain. With all substitutions already completed, the visitors were forced to see out the match practically a man down.

Deep into stoppage time, Atalanta had one final opportunity to snatch all three points. Ederson controlled a cleared corner on the edge of the area and curled a right-footed shot towards the top corner, but the ball grazed the crossbar and bounced away to safety.

The result leaves Atalanta frustrated in their pursuit of a top-four finish, while Genoa can officially plan for another campaign of top-flight football.