In-form Atalanta strengthened their bid for a top-six finish in Serie A with a comfortable 2-1 victory over struggling Cremonese, extending their unbeaten league run in 2026 to seven matches (W5).

La Dea set the tone early and dominated proceedings from the opening whistle. Giacomo Raspadori tested Emil Audero with a sharp early strike before Nikola Krstovic went close from the resulting corner. Audero, who had made more saves than all but two Serie A goalkeepers heading into the round, was busy again but will feel he should have done better for the opener.

After 13 minutes, Krstovic swivelled smartly in the box and volleyed through the goalkeeper’s legs to claim his seventh goal of the campaign and move clear at the top of Atalanta’s scoring charts.

The hosts continued to apply pressure and nearly doubled their lead when Lazar Samardzic — promoted into the starting XI following Charles De Ketelaere’s late withdrawal — rattled the crossbar on the break. The second goal arrived shortly after, and from an unlikely source, as wing-back Davide Zappacosta drilled a low finish into the far corner from a tight angle to score his first goal since March last year.

Cremonese offered little response before the break, managing just two first-half shots that failed to trouble Marco Carnesecchi, while Atalanta looked capable of adding to their advantage.

The hosts resumed with renewed intent after the interval, Nicola Zalewski firing narrowly wide early on. However, they were briefly unsettled when debutant Morten Thorsby, signed from Genoa last week, headed just off target. Despite enjoying their best spell of the match, Cremonese struggled to pose a serious threat, while Samardzic spurned another chance at the other end.

Raspadori nearly capped a flowing team move with a spectacular finish late on but fired over, and Milan Duric was denied a consolation header by Carnesecchi in the closing stages. Thorsby eventually found the net deep into stoppage time, sliding home to ensure Cremonese avoided a club-record fifth consecutive top-flight match without scoring.

Atalanta saw out a deserved win to move within two points of sixth-placed Como. Cremonese, meanwhile, remain 16th and without a win in 10 league games (D3, L7), with their cushion above the relegation zone reduced to just five points.