Spal goes 2nd in Serie A with 2-0 win over Atalanta

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FERRARA, Italy (AP) — Surprising Spal moved up to second in Serie A with a 2-0 win over Atalanta as its rennovated stadium was inaugurated on Monday.

Andrea Petagna scored both goals — his first with Spal and his first brace in the Italian league — while on loan from Atalanta.

Spal has nine points from the opening four rounds, three fewer than perfect Juventus. The Ferrara-based club is ahead of Napoli on goal differential.

Petagna scored his first with a rebound in the 50th then had a shot deflected in by a defender six minutes later.

Spal had been playing its home matches in nearby Bologna while the capacity of its Stadio Paolo Mazza was boosted above 16,000 — the minimum required to host Serie A matches.

Spal finished 17th last season in its first top-division appearance in 49 years.