Atalanta beats Dinamo 2-0 for 1st Champions League win

MILAN (AP) — Atalanta beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 on Tuesday as its first-ever win in the Champions League kept alive its hopes of advancing to the knockout stages.

Luis Muriel converted a penalty in a high-tempo first half and Alejandro “Papu” Gomez doubled its lead two minutes after the interval.

Last-place Atalanta moved to four points in Group C, one behind Dinamo and two behind Shakhtar Donetsk, which it plays in its final group match.

Manchester City drew 1-1 against Shakhtar to confirm itself as group winner.

Atalanta had lost 4-0 in Zagreb in its first-ever Champions League match and had only won one of its last eight matches in all competitions.

But it could have been 2-0 up after just three minutes as first Hans Hateboer and then Mario Pasalic missed good opportunities.

Atalanta kept up the pressure and took the lead in the 27th minute. Robin Gosens’ shot crashed off the crossbar and Muriel was fouled by Dino Peric as he attempted to reach the rebound.

Muriel stroked the resulting penalty into the bottom right corner.

Muriel blasted over the bar in the 32nd and Atalanta went even closer to doubling its lead moments later when Hateboer’s effort was cleared off the line by Peric, making up for his penalty foul.

Atalanta was almost made to rue its missed opportunities as Mislav Orsic — who scored a hat trick in Zagreb — curled a shot onto the crossbar.

The Italian side finally got its second goal two minutes into the second half as Gomez cut inside from the right, bamboozled his way past a defender and fired into the far bottom corner.

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