Goals and bad luck, Atalanta returns from Lisbon with a draw: 1-1 against Sporting

Lisbon, 6 March 2024 – The return to Bergamo will decide who between Atalanta e Sporting Lisbon will advance to the quarter-finals of the Europa League. The Goddess returns home from Portugal with a draw but with much regret, because after the initial advantage of Paulinho Gasperini's men dominated the contest, created a lot, hit three posts, wasted but still got the equalizer in the first half with good play Chess. Not so precise in front of goal, Atalanta However, he showed great personality away from home, making up for the recent dull period in the league. From Holm, Chess e Lookman the Nerazzurri woodwinds, while in the final El Bilal Touré he had found the one-two with a splendid overhead kick, but spoiled by an offside position. Now we need a victory at the Gewiss Stadium

The match: Scamacca responds to Paulinho

Amorim eventually leaves Hjulmand out and gyokeres, so in the middle there are Koindredi paired with Morita, while the center forward is Paulinho. Gasperini changes something, De Ketelaere is not among the starters, it's Miranchuk's turn, Koopmeiners also starts from the bench and they are there Lookman e Chess to complete the offensive department.

Balanced match at the start, the two teams know each other and try to cancel each other out, so the first emotions arise from the play of the individuals, especially from Edwards' speed with dribbling and cross aimed at the center which the Goddess quickly thwarts. Atalanta instead try to trigger the flanks, especially on the left where the Ruggeri-Kolasinac duo is preferred. The first conclusion instead comes from Ederson from outside following corner developments: the ball goes wide. There is great density and intensity in midfield and finding spaces is complicated, so scoring opportunities are absent for a quarter of an hour, but Sporting lights up shortly after when the Dea opens a gap between the lines where Trincao slips in for the filter that favors the diagonal of Paulinho: 1-0 in the 17th minute. Atalanta reacts immediately and pours into the other half of the pitch and has a great opportunity Holm, on his first foray, with a right-footed shot that hits the post. Definitely unlucky guests because a minute later it is Chess to unload a torpedo that has the same fate. The Goddess woke up suddenly and there was also a third opportunity with a steal forward, but Ederson and Scamacca couldn't find a way to kick on goal, wasting a great chance. The Nerazzurri break through, with a strike in the 31st minute DeRoon which Israel deflects over the crossbar, but the goal just doesn't seem to want to arrive. And instead, again on an outgoing error by the Portuguese, there is a draw. Lookman forces Israel into a reckless exit, so Miranchuk collects and assists Chess, this time effective with the left-footed player catching the empty net: 1-1 in the 40th minute. There is only Atalanta on the pitch and Scamacca again comes close to scoring the second shortly after: a header and a miracle from Israel. At half-time it was 1-1, but it was a great shame for Atalanta who actually dominated the second half of the first half.

The second half opens with four substitutions. Gasperini chooses Scalvini Hien's place was booked, while Amorim partially revolutionizes the team after a difficult first half with St. Juste, Hjulmand and Gyokeres for Diomande, Koindredi and Edwards. Gasp, however, did not solve the problem because in the first ten minutes of the second half both Scalvini and Djimsiti received yellow cards, in a more chaotic match than the first half and with assorted errors from one side to the other. Suddenly it lights up once again Lookman who in the 58th minute discards two in the area and then unloads the right foot: more bad luck and another post, the third from the Goddess. There's also Sporting who aren't far behind and two minutes later it's the break Coates to catch the uppercut to Musso's left. Vibrant match, full of opportunities and absolutely enjoyable, but it remains a regret for Atalanta not to have scored more with all the opportunities created. Amorim, who played with two strikers for twenty minutes, decides to rebalance the team and makes his choice Esgaio for Paulinho, so Gasperini responds with koopmeiners for Lookman e The Ketelaere for Miranchuk. The Goddess continues to waste, because with a quarter of an hour to go there is a beautiful cross from Ederson who Kolasinac does not turn into the net from a very good position. Atalanta always gives the impression of being able to do badly, and the draw is close, on the other hand Sporting can bless a result that could have been very different, so the Portuguese try to put the game to sleep by approaching the ninetieth minute to possibly think again on the way back. Gasp plays his last card with El Bilal Touré instead of a good Scamacca to try to achieve a victory that the team deserves. The number 10 finds the goal with 5 to go with a splendid scissors kick, but the linesman signals offside and the VAR confirms. It's the last emotion of the match. Atalanta will therefore have to win in Bergamo to access the quarter-finals, a mission that is far from impossible.

The little table

Sporting Lisbon (3-4-3): Israel, Quaresma, Coates, Diomande (1' st St. Juste); Catamo, Koindredi (1' st Hjulmand), Morita (38' Braganca), Matheus Reis; Edwards (1' st Gyokeres), Paulinho (23' st Esgaio), Trincao. All. Amorim.

Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Musso, Djimsiti, Hien (1' st Scalvini), Kolasinac; Holm (43' st Zappacosta), De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Miranchuk (26' st Koopmeiners), Lookman (26' st De Ketelaere); Scamacca (35' Toure). All. Gasperini.

Scorers: 17' Paulinho, 40' Scamacca.