*** Atalanta in Champions League hunt after cruising past Lecce | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Atalanta in Champions League hunt after cruising past Lecce

AFP | Milan

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Atalanta are firmly in contention for next season’s Champions League after beating lowly Lecce 3-0 yesterday and creeping to within five points of Serie A’s top four.

Goals from Giorgio Scalvini, Lecce old boy Nikola Krstovic and Giacomo Raspadori gave seventh-placed Atalanta a straightforward win at the Stadio Via del mare.

Raffaelle Palladino’s side took advantage of Como’s goalless draw at Udinese in yesterday’s early fixture and the 5-2 hammering dished out to Roma by league leaders Inter Milan last night.

Roma, in sixth and the Conference League spot, and fifthplaced Juventus lead Atalanta by a single point, with Juve hosting Genoa later yesterday.

And with Atalanta welcoming Juve on Saturday -- Como face Inter by the lake on Sunday -- and then travelling to Roma the following weekend, the Bergamo club are back in the Champions League mix.

Lecce were booed off by disgruntled fans after a defeat which left their team back in the relegation zone, level on 27 points with Cremonese who sit just outside the bottom three thanks to their superior headto-head record.