For three years, Atalanta has been the best Italian representative in Europe and in Leipzig it has confirmed this playing and drawing a nice game, played at great rhythm up to 93 ‘, childan intensity that has always distinguished Gasperini’s football. Goal, Muriel’s masterpiece, chances, goalposts and crosspieces (two woods on each side), a penalty saved by Musso against the former AC Milan player Andre Silva, it was a real cup match.
For the qualification all postponed to Bergamo, where this year the Goddess has collected several empty passes, but one by one trusted the Nerazzurri. In Leipzig she reached 20 shots and only once away in the Europa League had she made more (22 against Everton on 23 November 2017). Zapat is back tooa and also his return, in view of the new challenge in seven days, is a point in favor for Atalanta.
IMMEDIATELY THE YELLOW – It didn’t start well for Atalanta. After less than 3 minutes, Palomino yellow for the first foul of the match on Nkunku, Leipzig’s most formidable striker. After another hundred seconds, another foul by Palomino on Nkunku himself. For the deployment and the approach chosen by Gasperini it could have been a significant handicap, min Palomino he was no longer surprised and above all he was not conditioned by the admonition. In Germany, Atalanta has started with the defense at 4 e with the usual man markings: Demiral immediately canceled Andre Silva, De Roon pushed Dani Olmo out of the game, Palomino had the most grumpy client and before taking his measures he took risks. Module 4-2-3-1, with Pasalic wide on the left, Pessina on the right, Koopmeiners in the center on Kampl and finally Freuler, the tactical element that cannot be given up, on the left side had to absorb the cuts in the center of Henrichs and at the same time control Laimer, the player in the best form of the Germans back from the Dortmund brace against Borussia.
MURIEL’S JEWEL – Atalanta and Leipzig, always maintaining a fast pace, also played on the opponent’s mistake, but neither of them managed to gain the upper hand. Until that phenomenon of Muriel extracted his jewel, breaking the balance of the race. Minute 16: almost banal passage of Zappacosta for the Colombian, outside the area on the left. The 9 of Atalanta went on in an instant, with the first cue he jumped Klostermann and Henrichs passing between the two, made the cut in the area and while Orban shortened he dropped a science fiction right at the far post. Wonderful goal.
AND PILOTS – In the wake of that feat Muriel went immediately after the brace: diagonal out of nothing. Almost everything worked well in Atalanta, the only flaw was in some lightly lost ball. Like the one that Olmo, who had never appeared in the game until that moment, blew Pessina, at the bottom of the action the former AC Milan player Andre Silva has hit the post. Leipzig almost always attacked on the right, ignoring Angelino, the left man-cross for a long time. Gasperini’s team controlled without problems and at the last minute of the first half equalized the score with another applause: Zappacosta, De Roon, Koopmeiners, Pasalic, Freuler, Pasalic, all vertically with those of Leipzig always out of time, for its beauty such an action would have deserved the goal.
FROM PENALTY TO 1-1 – Immediately two Atalanta initiatives at the beginning of the second half, he was better than Leipzig. However, he had a jolt just before the quarter of an hour: sharp swerve in the full area of Nkunku and Demiral, until that deadly moment in the closures, in the advances and in the one-on-one, entered late and touched it . Oliver was right there and called a fair penalty. On the spot the criticized (also by his coach) Andre Silva, Musso rejected the shot and also Orban’s subsequent header. Danger averted, it seemed. In fact it was just an impression and moreover wrong because a few seconds later Leipzig equalized: Angelino’s first cross from the left, Zappacosta tried to anticipate Orban and beat Musso.
THE RETURN OF ZAPATA – The second half was overtaking the first on both the athletic and the technical level. Gasperini wasted no time and started the changes, starting with Duvan Zapata (in place of Muriel) returning to the field after two months and obviously not in the best of conditions. Inside also Boga and Scalvini for Pessina and Pasalic. Koopmeiners went to the left, Boga to the right, Scalvini strengthened the midfield. The substitutions had an immediate effect on Atalanta: Scalvini’s ball-goal (at his debut in Europe, but what a personality!) On the edge of the small area with a high shot and full post from Koopmeiners. The Goddess broke through on the left with Boga who was unleashing his dribbling from that side. Freuler got hurt, Miranchuk came in behind Zapata. Tedesco also tried to raise the quality with Szoboszlai, who with 10 ‘from the end hit the crossbar with a header. The wood count was also equal. Atalanta did not stop attacking, but in the final they risked conceding goals twice. First on the counterattack again with Szoboszlai (deviation for a corner by Musso), then Mukiele (just entered in place of Henrichs) in the fray with a shot blocked on the goal line by Demiral with Musso beaten. And again Atalanta with the last conclusion of the Koopmeiners match deflected for a corner. The second half was great.
THE TABLE
Leipzig 1-1 Atalanta (first half 0-1)
Scorers: 17 ‘for Muriel (A), 13’ st aut. Zappacosta (A)
Assist: 17′ s.t. Zappacosta (A)
Leipzig (3-5-2): Gulacsi, Gvardiol (28 ‘st Halstenberg), Orban, Klostermann, Angelino, Kampl, Laimer, Henrichs (41’ st Mukiele), Olmo (28 ‘st Szoboslai), Nkunku (42’ st Novoa), Andre Silva (17 ‘st Forsberg). All. Tedesco.
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Musso, de Roon, Demiral, Palomino, Hateboer, Koopmeiners, Freuler (22 ‘st Freuler), Zappacosta (44’ st Pezzella), Pessina (16 ‘st Scalvini), Pašalić (16’ st Boga), Muriel (16 ‘st Zapata). All. Gasperini.
Referee: Michael Oliver (FRA).
Ammoniti: 3′ p.t. Palomino (A), 6′ s.t. Gvardiol (L), 40′ s.t. Halstenberg (L)
