Soccer Football - Serie A - Atalanta v Inter Milan - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - November 11, 2018 Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi scores their first goal from a penalty REUTERS/Alberto Lingria
MILAN (Reuters) - Inter Milan's run of seven successive league wins was abruptly ended on Sunday when they were crushed 4-1 at Atalanta in rain-sodden conditions.
Atalanta captain Alejandro Gomez capped the win by scoring with a spectacular dipping shot in stoppage time seconds after Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic had been sent off for a second bookable offence.
The defeat left Inter third in Serie A with 25 points, six behind leaders Juventus who were at AC Milan later on Sunday.
Soccer Football - Serie A - Atalanta v Inter Milan - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - November 11, 2018 Atalanta's Alejandro Gomez celebrates scoring their fourth goal with team mates REUTERS/Alberto Lingria
"We played and won against a team of great value," said Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who coached Inter Milan in 2011 but was fired after only five games in charge. "This kind of performance can work as a springboard for us."
Hans Hateboer put Atlanta ahead after eight minutes, turning in Robin Gosens's cross at the far post, and the hosts would have been out of sight by halftime had it not been for Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
The Slovenian, who had already made a double save in the third minute, denied Gosens, Josip Ilicic and Rafael Toloi, the last with a one-handed save from point-blank range, while Ilicic also missed a sitter from one metre.
Soccer Football - Serie A - Atalanta v Inter Milan - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - November 11, 2018 Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi reacts REUTERS/Alberto Lingria
Mauro Icardi levelled from a penalty two minutes after the restart but it was only a brief and ill-deserved reprieve for Inter.
Gianluca Mancini headed in from an Ilicic free kick to put Atalanta back in front after 62 minutes and Berat Djimsiti scored a similar goal in the 88th minute to ensure that justice was done.
Gomez completed Atalanta's fourth successive win with a shot which not even Handanovic could top as they climbed to seventh.
Soccer Football - Serie A - Atalanta v Inter Milan - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - November 11, 2018 Atalanta's Berat Djimsiti scores their third goal REUTERS/Alberto Lingria
"We don't seem able to keep our concentration for long periods," said Inter coach Luciano Spalletti. "Invariably, we drop our guard and we give our opponents a few extra metres and that makes everything more difficult.
"We must accept this result, it is a game that we will take with us to learn from our mistakes and make sure that we do not repeat them."
Soccer Football - Serie A - Atalanta v Inter Milan - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - November 11, 2018 Inter Milan's Samir Handanovic reacts after conceding their third goal scored by Atalanta's Berat Djimsiti REUTERS/Alberto Lingria
(Writing by Brian Homewood; editing by Clare Fallon)
Soccer Football - Serie A - Atalanta v Inter Milan - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - November 11, 2018 Atalanta's Alejandro Gomez clashes with Inter Milan's Borja Valero REUTERS/Alberto LingriaSoccer Football - Serie A - Atalanta v Inter Milan - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - November 11, 2018 Inter Milan's Keita Balde in action with Atalanta's Gianluca Mancini REUTERS/Alberto LingriaSoccer Football - Serie A - Atalanta v Inter Milan - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - November 11, 2018 Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi and team mates react after conceding their second goal scored by Atalanta's Gianluca Mancini REUTERS/Alberto LingriaSoccer Football - Serie A - Atalanta v Inter Milan - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - November 11, 2018 Atalanta's Gianluca Mancini scores their second goal REUTERS/Alberto LingriaSoccer Football - Serie A - Atalanta v Inter Milan - Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy - November 11, 2018 Atalanta's Gianluca Mancini scores their second goal REUTERS/Alberto Lingria
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