Serie A has been incredible since its return from the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, we saw Juventus take a 2-0 lead against AC Milan going on to lose 4-2.

Was the title race back on?

We found out the answer on Saturday.

Lazio hosted Sassuolo and could have moved, momentarily, to within four points of Juventus in the title race.

However, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat.

p1ecvv1tn41afguja1no81c3c6u2f.jpg

Then, Juve hosted Atalanta who sat third and nine points behind the champions.

A win for Atalanta would take them above Lazio into second and, maybe, keep their faint title hopes alive.

What followed what an enthralling 90 minutes as Atlanta twice led but were pegged back on both occasions by a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty.

Duvan Zapata had given the away side a first half lead with a brilliant finish but the Colombian was also involved in a rather unsavoury incident with Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt.

Shortly after he’d given his side the lead, Zapata competed for the ball for De Ligt as the Dutchman made a fantastic sliding tackle.

It turned out to be the most painful sliding tackle of his career and Zapata, accidentally, planted his studs right in De Ligt’s sensitive area.

OUCH.

That has got to hurt.

Incredibly, De Ligt managed to carry on playing after that. We’re really not sure how.

p1ecvvajoco0i15vl4calan17dbh.jpg

Zapata’s opener was wiped out by a Ronaldo penalty in the 55th-minute after it was awarded for a soft handball call against Marten de Roon.

Atalanta thought they had won the game with 10 minutes later with Ruslan Malinovsky powerfully fired home.

But another soft penalty award for handball gave Ronaldo the chance to equalise again from the spot - which he duly accepted.

We just hope De Ligt has some ice handy and that everything is where it should be.

Both Juve and Atalanta will start thinking about the Champions League soon following the competition draw earlier this week.

Juve need to overturn their 1-0 defeat to Lyon in their last-16 tie to set up a quarter-final clash against Real Madrid or Manchester City.

As for Atalanta, they know they will play Paris Saint-Germain in the last-eight on Wednesday 12 August.