Serie A: 10-Man Sassuolo Stun Atalanta 2-1 — Thorstvedt Secures Win

Sassuolo edge Atalanta 2-1

Sassuolo overcome 10-man deficit to beat Atalanta 2-1, with Kristian Thorstvedt scoring crucial second goal, handing Atalanta a costly defeat in Serie A top-six race.

Sassuolo's win marks a significant milestone - their first league hat-trick of wins since March 2023...

Atalanta's hopes of securing a top-six spot in Serie A took a hit after a 2-1 defeat to Sassuolo. Despite playing with 10 men for over 75 minutes, Sassuolo managed to secure a win, marking their fifth victory in six league matches.

The match began with an entertaining opening quarter-hour, with Sassuolo threatening first through Andrea Pinamonti's header, which was saved by Marco Carnesecchi.

However, Sassuolo's Andrea Pinamonti was sent off in the 16th minute for a studs-up tackle on Berat Djimsiti, leaving his team with 10 men. Despite being down to 10 men, Sassuolo took the lead through Ismael Koné in the 23rd minute, assisted by Armand Lauriente. Kristian Thorstvedt doubled the lead in the 69th minute, before Atalanta pulled one back through Yunus Musah in the 88th minute.

That sparked a quickfire counter from the visitors, at the end of which midfielder Nicola Zalewski inexplicably lofted his one-on-one effort wide of the far post less than sixty seconds later. The action wasn’t finished there either as Carnesecchi then expertly prevented Kristian Thorstedt's effort from sneaking into the bottom corner.

However, the hosts’ encouraging start appeared to have been undone four minutes later, as referee Matteo Marchetti was left with no choice but to show Pinamonti a straight red card for a nasty challenge on Berat Djimsiti.

Sassuolo's numerical disadvantage didn't seem to faze them. Ismael Kone took advantage of a well-placed corner, directing it past Marco Carnesecchi to give Sassuolo the lead in the 23rd minute.

Atalanta struggled to break through Sassuolo's defense, despite having the man advantage. Arijanet Muric made crucial saves, first blocking Lazar Samardzic's shot and then acrobatically denying Raoul Bellanova's header, keeping the score 1-0 at half-time.

Atalanta manager Raffaele Palladino made a triple change during the break, bringing in top scorer Nikola Krstovic among others. The changes seemed to inject some urgency into Atalanta's play.

Krstovic took aim at goal just seven minutes after coming on, firing an ambitious effort over the bar. Atalanta's pressure continued, with Kristian Thorstvedt testing Marco Carnesecchi with a rebound strike that the goalkeeper saved smartly.

A fantastic win for Sassuolo! 👏🌟#SassuoloAtalanta pic.twitter.com/jjync4LTxb

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) March 1, 2026

Thorstvedt got his reward in the 69th minute, beating Carnesecchi with a powerful shot that flew into the top corner, doubling Sassuolo's lead.

Yunus Musah scored a late consolation goal for Atalanta in the 88th minute, striking a sublime shot. The goal came too late to change the outcome, though.

Atalanta were denied a late point as Arijanet Muric made a stunning save, tipping Giorgio Scalvini's header onto the bar. The point would've been a consolation for the visitors.

Sassuolo's win marks a significant milestone - their first league hat-trick of wins since March 2023. The result also closes the gap to seven points between Sassuolo and fourth-placed Atalanta.

Meanwhile, the visitors’ celebrations of beating Borussia Dortmund to qualify for the Round of 16 in this season’s UEFA Champions League campaign are well and truly over. The defeat now leaves Palladino's side outside of the top six; however, the gap to sixth-placed Juventus is only a point.

Ismaël Koné is the Panini Player of the Match 🏆#SassuoloAtalanta pic.twitter.com/QE9o8GenAn

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) March 1, 2026