The visitors’ night got off to a bad start when Thomas Kristensen was forced off with an injury inside four minutes, the Dane becoming the second Atalanta defender in as many games to suffer that fate after Raoul Bellanova sustained a thigh issue in Saturday’s 4-4 draw with Frosinone.
With their already-lengthy injury list added to, it was perhaps no surprise that La Dea started slowly, and Fiorentina looked to capitalise, with Real Madrid loanee Franco Mastantuono seeing a shot parried away by Marco Carnesecchi.
Atalanta grew into the game, and they almost scored with their first shot when Eljif Elmas was denied by a goal-saving block in the 19th minute, before Gianluca Gaetano and Mastantuono blazed over from good positions at each end.
La Dea made their hosts pay for their wastefulness and broke the deadlock four minutes before half-time. They scored before the break on the road for the first time this season, when Charles De Ketelaere swept home Nicola Zalewski’s cross to end a nine-month domestic goal drought.
It was the 10th first-half goal Fiorentina have conceded in Serie A this term, and another almost followed when David De Gea brilliantly saved Nikola Krstovic’s header.
The start of the second half was delayed while fourth official Livio Marinelli took over refereeing duties following an injury to Federico La Penna, but Fiorentina came out fighting after the extended break.
First, Mastantuono curled a superb free-kick inches wide moments after the restart before Torino loanee Alieu Njie scored his first Viola goal with a brilliant diving header to convert a cross by Alex Jimenez, who now has five goal contributions in his past seven appearances (G2, A3).
Fiorentina completed the turnaround just after the hour mark when Joao Mario, on loan from Juventus, cut inside and beat Carnesecchi - via a heavy deflection - to open his Fiorentina account.
La Dea searched for a response and top goalscorer Krstovic skewed a good chance wide, but Fiorentina could not hold on as Zalewski squeezed his first goal of the season inside the near post 16 minutes from time.
Marco Brescianini saw a late chance blocked at point-blank range, as the two sides were forced to settle for a draw that extends La Viola’s winless run to five games (D2, L3), while Atalanta are without a victory in four matches (D2, L2).
Fiorentina climb a place to 18th but remain in the relegation zone, while La Dea remain 12th in the table, although they have at least ended a run of four defeats on the road.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Alejandro Jimenez (Fiorentina)
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