Atalanta held by Genoa as top-four ambitions fade

Atalanta were held to a 0-0 draw by Genoa on Sunday to leave them trailing the Serie A top four by eight points.

Fourth-placed Juventus's 3-1 win at Sampdoria on Saturday put the pressure on Atalanta to keep pace in the race for the Champions League qualification spots, and a home game against 19th-placed Genoa seemed a gift.

However, other than Luis Muriel's first-half effort that clipped the outside of the post, Atalanta struggled to break down a determined Genoa.

The visitors started to create chances of their own with fresh legs off the bench, with Mattia Destro drilling just wide, but they could not find a winner and settled for a deserved point.

While Atalanta have played one game fewer than Juventus, the fact that they have achieved just one win in seven Serie A matches has left them with a mountain to climb to secure Champions League football for next season.

Genoa remain six points from safety after a seventh successive Serie A draw.

In Udine, a last-gasp Lorenzo Pellegrini penalty rescued Jose Mourinho's AS Roma in a 1-1 draw with Udinese and they moved level on points with Atalanta, while Fiorentina beat Bologna 1-0.