Italian Serie A: Udinese keep up home form

Udinese maintained their unbeaten run at home with a 2-0 triumph over Atalanta on Sunday afternoon.

Veteran forward Antonio Di Natale put the hosts on their way in the sixth minute and later set up team-mate Cyril Thereau for Udinese's second before half-time.

Udinese bounced back from their 1-0 defeat at Torino last time out and climbed, possibly temporarily, to third in Serie A.

AC Milan can leapfrog them into third if they beat Fiorentina later on Sunday.

The visitors, who have the least prolific strikeforce in the competition, wasted several chances and are now 16th with seven points from eight games.

Atalanta went into the contest looking to build on their 1-0 triumph over Parma in their previous game, a win that had halted a four-match losing streak.

Udinese enjoyed a better start and took an early lead when Di Natale got past his marker and drilled a right-footed shot towards the top corner of goal and out of Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello's reach.

Atalanta reacted and Luca Cigarini's hard drive from 30 yards was kept out by Udinese goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis.

The Bergamaschi had a good chance to pull level in the 13th minute but Rolando Bianchi struck the ball from the heart of the area over the bar.

In the 34th minute, Sportiello was called on to make a save from Thereau's powerful attempt from outside the area.

Thereau made no mistake two minutes later when he connected with Di Natale's headed pass and drilled a right-footed shot from 20 yards inside the near post to beat Sportiello.

The visitors should have reduced the arrears before the interval but Bianchi's header from Daniele Baselli's cross was saved by Karnezis.

Atalanta coach Stefano Colantuono made his first substitution after the restart with German Denis replacing Bianchi.

The new man almost scored three minutes later but headed Luca Cigarini's cross just wide.

Denis wasted another good chance before the hour-mark when he nodded Maximiliano Moralez's cross wide.

With nine minutes remaining, substitute Allan threatened to score Udinese's third but Sportiello saved the attempt.