Atalanta 1-1 Como: Depleted Dea maintain unbeaten Serie A start
Lazar Samardzic and Maximo Perrone scored at either end in the first half as neighbours Atalanta and Como drew 1-1 in Bergamo.
Atalanta continued their unbeaten start to the Serie A season as they overcame a swathe of injuries to first teamers and drew 1-1 with Cesc Fabregas' Como.
Fabregas served a touchline ban on Saturday after being sent to the stands during last week's 1-1 draw with Cremonese, while Atalanta were without Gianluca Scamacca, Charles De Ketelaere, Raoul Bellanova, Odilon Kossounou, Giorgio Scalvini and Sead Kolasinac and could not name a full substitutes' bench.
Ademola Lookman was handed his first start of the season after failing to force a move to Inter in the transfer window, but it was Lazar Samardzic that struck for the hosts.
He slotted home after being fed by Ederson inside the penalty area after six minutes, though Como got back on terms only 13 minutes later.
Maximo Perrone's shot-cross struck the post and crept over the line despite Marco Carnesecchi's desperate attempts to scramble it clear.
Both teams only managed a single shot on target apiece in a tepid second half, with some strong Como defending denying Kamaldeen Sulemana a clear sight of goal after positive work from Lookman.
The result leaves Atalanta sixth in Serie A with 10 points from six matches, having won two and drawn four, while Como are just a place and a point further back.
Data Debrief: Nothing to separate draw specialists
It should come as a surprise to nobody that Atalanta and Como were made to settle for a point apiece on Saturday.
Only Celta Vigo (five) have drawn more games than Ivan Juric's hosts (four, level with Elche) in Europe's big five leagues this season. And Como have now drawn three of their last four Serie A matches (one win), as many draws as they recorded in their previous 21 (10 wins, eight defeats).
Perrone's goal was his first in 62 outings in Europe's top five divisions, having played 32 Serie A games with Como, 29 LaLiga matches with Las Palmas and once in the Premier League for Manchester City.
Among all midfielders to record at least three goal involvements in away Serie A matches since the start of last season, only Nico Paz (seven – born September 2004) and Gvidas Gineitis (three – April 2004) are younger than Perrone (one goal, two assists – January 2003).
