Udinese beats Cagliari for fourth straight win

Roberto Pereyra (right) scored the lone goal in Udinese's vital win over Cagliari.

Andrea Lasorte/ZumaPress.com

MILAN (AP) -- Udinese kept its Europa League hopes alive with a 1-0 win against Cagliari in Serie A on Saturday, picking up its fourth consecutive victory.

Roberto Pereyra scored in the 56th minute, curling an effort into the bottom right corner from the edge of the penalty area. Pereyra had smashed Gabriel Silva's cross onto the underside of the crossbar from close range in the first half.

Cagliari striker Mauricio Pinilla was sent off in stoppage time after flying into the back of Giampiero Pinzi. Udinese moved provisionally into fifth place ahead of the weekend's other fixtures.

The match was held at the Stadio Nereo Rocco in Trieste, where Cagliari is playing after abandoning its troubled Is Arenas stadium.

Struggling Atalanta picked up a crucial point with a 1-1 draw against Bologna.

After a dull first half, the match livened up and Bologna goalkeeper Gianluca Curci was forced into several smart saves.

Atalanta took the lead in the 67th minute when Curci could only slap Davide Brivio's cross away, right into the path of Luigi Giorgi, who acrobatically volleyed it into the back of the net. Bologna leveled nine minutes later when Alberto Gilardino beat an Atalanta defender to hook down Alessandro Diamanti's pass and slot past Andrea Consigli.

Either side could have won it at the end, with Curci pulling off a flying save to deny Maxi Moralez before Consigli punched clear Davide Moscardelli's fierce strike.

Atalanta moved 10 points clear of the relegation zone, with Bologna a point further ahead.

Second-place Napoli visits bottom club Pescara later.