Atalanta began their run of seven games in 22 days with a 2-0 victory over Venezia. Despite Ademola Lookman hitting the post and being one of the team’s key attacking threats, he was substituted at halftime for Juan Cuadrado. Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini explained post-match that although Lookman is a dangerous player, his defensive contribution was lacking, and the team needed to be more cohesive, especially as Venezia was gaining momentum.

Lookman, who turned 27 on the day, has only played the full 90 minutes in three of Atalanta’s 11 matches this season. He was also recently involved in a situation where 22 Nigerian players, including himself, were stranded in Libya before being assisted by the Nigerian government.