Valter Birsa scored the only goal of the match as Chievo earned a 1-0 win over nine-man Atalanta BC in Serie A this afternoon.

The visitors created the first chance of the match when Marten de Roon burst to the edge of the box before firing an effort wide of the target.

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Alejandro Gomez was next to try his luck for the visitors from a similar position, but his stinging drive was tipped wide of the post by Albano Bizzarri.

On the stroke of half time it was Atalanta who again threatened to make the breakthrough when German Denis rose to meet Kristian Raimondi's cross before heading narrowly over the top corner.

Chievo came out strongly in the second half and Massimo Gobbi had an early chance with a strike from inside the box that went a few yards wide of the post.

In the 66th minute the match turned on its head, as Nicolo Cherubin was sent off for a head-butt on Alberto Paloschi, and as the incident happened inside the box a penalty was given.

Paloschi then stepped up to take the resulting spot kick, but his effort was kept out by Marco Sportiello.

The keeper was soon called into action again to turn wide Ivan Radovanovic's low free kick that was heading into the bottom corner.

However, Chievo soon made their numerical advantage count as Birsa was found inside the box by Riccardo Meggiorini, before firing in a low drive at the near post.

Atalanta saw their misery compounded in stoppage time as Jasmin Kurtic picked up two quick bookings and was sent off, as they ended with nine men for the second successive away league match.