Atalanta takes third place and qualifies for Champions League

by Fabrizio CarcanoBERGAMOL'Atalanta with two days to go, the team mathematically wins with 71 points third place, for the fourth time since 2019, and the qualification in Champions, for the fifth time, always since 2019. In the silence of the Gewiss Stadium, without chants from the home fans out of respect for the mourning for the killing of Riccardo Claris, and without the Giallorossi supporters who were forbidden from travelling to the away match, the Goddess beat the Roma, relegated to sixth place with 63 points, but still in the running for Juventus and Lazio. Atalanta - under the eyes of co-owner Pagliuca, in the stands with the Percassi - started very strong right away, with a high pressing that crushed Roma in their area, until the goal of the advantage found after only eight minutes: ball from De Ketelaere from the right, Lookman receives, displaces the naive Rensch with a feint and scores the torpedo of the advantage. Dea who immediately comes close to doubling the score with Ederson and then misses two easy opportunities in a melee with Retegui, from two steps away, also thanks to the reactive interventions of Svilar. From the half hour Roma rises and finds the equalizer with the first real attack: a brushed cross from Soulé and a twist from Cristante for the classic poisonous goal from the ex. End of the half with Lupa who wastes a great opportunity with Koné. Resumption with Atalanta still pressing but with little clarity in the conclusions. In the 62nd minute, Roma went down with Koné, contact in the area with Pasalic: Sozza first awarded the penalty then after consulting the VAR cancelled it. In the last twenty minutes, Atalanta increased the pressure and in the 76th minute, from a run from the left by Lookman came the doubling, scored by the new arrival Ibrahim Sulemana, so far a mysterious object used only 120 minutes, with a thrust that gave the Nerazzurri their fifth Champions League qualification since 2019 and the third step of the podium. Yet another masterpiece by Atalanta, Pagliuca and the Percassi, and obviously by Gian Piero Gasperini, who also achieved the eighth European qualification in nine seasons. From today in Zingonia we will start talking about the next season and the permanence of the coach from Grugliasco, who left yesterday accompanied by the ovation of the Nerazzurri fans.