Atalanta and Inter seal Champions League football as Empoli go down | OneFootball

Atalanta have qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history after a 3-1 win over Sassuolo on the final Serie A matchday.

After trailing to an early Domenico Berardi goal, La Dea battled back to level through Duvan Zapata in scrappy fashion.

Alejandro Gómez and Mario Pašalić completed the comeback in the second half following Berardi’s half-time red card, bringing their side to European football’s top table for the first time.

The Bergamo outfit will be joined in the Champions League by their Lombardy cousins Inter, who edged out Milan in the battle for fourth place, relegating Empoli in the process.

Despite a penalty miss from Mauro Icardi, Keita Baldé and Radja Nainggolan strike struck to see off a spirited Empoli side, who went down as a result of that defeat and Genoa’s 0-0 draw at Fiorentina.

Elsewhere, Milan missed out on a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2013/14, as their thrilling 3-2 win over SPAL wasn’t enough to secure a top four finish.

They will be joined in the Europa League by Roma, who beat Parma 2-1 in Daniele De Rossi’s farewell game, with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Diego Perotti getting the goals.

Lazio will also contest that competition next season by virtue of their Coppa Italia success.