Atalanta Bergamo recorded its second win of the campaign with a goal in each half to secure a 2-0 victory over Stuttgart in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
The Italian side started strongly, with Mario Pasalic firing wide after eight minutes following Mateo Retegui's through ball.
Stuttgart took time to settle but came close three minutes later when Anthony Rouault headed over from close range.
The match began with plenty of momentum, but things calmed down when Deniz Undav hit the side-netting from a tight angle just before halftime.
Atalanta made a dream start to the second half, with Ademola Lookman opening the scoring in the 51st minute after a well-crafted build-up and a neat pass from substitute Charles de Ketelaere.
Stuttgart responded well and continued to threaten when Chris Fuhrich dribbled through Atalanta's defense, but his shot from inside the area was blocked by defender Berat Djimsiti five minutes later.
Atalanta's well-organized defense neutralized Stuttgart's attack in the final third, while Charles de Ketelaere tested Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nubel with a header in the 73rd minute.
The hosts attempted shots from distance, but neither Jazinho Malanga nor Pascal Stenzel could find the back of the net in the closing stages.
Atalanta sealed the victory in the final minutes when Nicolo Zaniolo capitalized on a defensive lapse by Stuttgart, beating Nubel one-on-one to make it 2-0.
"The only difference is that Atalanta scored, and we did not. We believed in ourselves until the end, but we didn't take our chances. Atalanta were clinical in front of goal. We need to analyze the game and learn from our mistakes," said Stuttgart midfielder Fuhrich.
The win lifts Atalanta Bergamo into ninth place, while Stuttgart's second defeat drops it to 27th in the Champions League standings.