Atalanta began the 2018–19 season by defeating Bosnian club Sarajevo and Israeli club Hapoel Haifa in Europa League qualifiers, though failed to reach the group stage after losing a penalty shootout against Danish club Copenhagen (having drawn both legs 0–0). At the start of the Serie A campaign, the club experienced a run of negative results, finding itself in fourth-to-last place with 6 points after 8 matches. Atalanta went on to recover substantially, winning its next four matches (including a 4–1 victory against Inter), and obtaining 41 points during the latter half of the season. The club boasted the best attack in the league with 77 goals scored, and with a 3–1 victory against Sassuolo on the final matchday, achieved a record third-place finish with 69 points and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history. The club also reached its fourth Coppa Italia final this season, eliminating Cagliari (2–0), defending champions Juventus (3–0), and Fiorentina (5–4 on aggregate), though lost the final against Lazio 2–0 following a controversial decision.