Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman on Sunday earned his first start of the season in the Serie A since the drama surrounding his future in the summer transfer window as Atalanta were held goalless at home by Lazio at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy.

Atalanta are still unbeaten this season, albeit with a few too many stalemates, and their injury crisis calmed with the return of Charles De Ketelaere, Nicola Zalewski, Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini, with Raoul Bellanova, Odilon Kossounou, Sead Kolasinac and Mitchel Bakker still out.

The Aquile rushed Mattia Zaccagni and Boulaye Dia back from injury, but Taty Castellanos, Nicolò Rovella, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Luca Pellegrini and Samuel Gigot were still sidelined.

The Lazio injury problems intensified after just 22 minutes when Matteo Cancellieri limped off with a muscular issue, replaced by Gustav Isaksen.

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Matteo Guendouzi also fired over the bar after a counter-attack sparked by Nuno Tavares and Zaccagni, while Ivan Provedel made his first save on 43 minutes when Davide Zappacosta slipped while taking the shot from the edge of the area.

Lookman should have scored on 51 minutes, but turned a free header over from six yards on the De Ketelaere cross with only Provedel to beat.

Moments later, Mario Gila made a decisive interception as De Ketelaere pulled back from the by-line for the otherwise unmarked Lookman.

Ederson scuffed the finish straight at Provedel after good work in the build-up from De Ketelaere and Lookman, while Nuno Tavares made a crucial block on the Davide Zappacosta volley.

On the resulting corner, Mario Pasalic flicked it on to the back post only for Honest Ahanor to toe-poke wide from close range.

Atalanta finally introduced a centre-forward in the form of Nikola Krstovic, and within two minutes, he had forced a save out of Provedel at the near post when springing the offside trap in the centre circle.

Provedel made a sensational fingertip save on the Lookman finish that squirmed through a sea of legs, taking a slight nick off Adam Marusic’s shin. He also had to be alert to Krstovic’s looping header from the resulting corner.

When the Lazio goalkeeper was finally beaten by a Davide Zappacosta angled drive on 80 minutes, he was rescued by the base of the upright, then quick enough to parry the Marten de Roon follow-up.