“Atalanta’s Big Dreams: Zapata’s Masterpiece Pushes Them Beyond Inter in Champions League Race”

Atalanta now dreams big. A masterpiece of Zapata pushes the Gasp gang beyond Inter (at least for one night), 2 points from the fourth place occupied by Milan and Roma. The Colombian takes full stakes in the final pennies of a very balanced match: he lands with power on the left, enters the area, kills Schuurs with magic (perfect up to there), returns on the right and designs a powerful, precise, spectacular right-footed shot . Gasp finds a true treasure in the hottest moment of the season: in addition to the goal (which had been missing since November), Zapata is back to plowing the field and opponents. «A great play – exults Duvan -. Three key points. The Champions League race? It’s very hard, here no one gives up ». Instead, he remains so bitter in the mouth in the locker room of a Bull that a few minutes earlier had made up for the mistake of Milinkovic-Savic (awkward and mocked on his post by Zappacosta in the first half) with the splendid 1-1 of Sanabria: Miranchuk’s missile from 25 meters (deflection by De Roon), miracle by Sportiello, who then can’t do anything about the Paraguayan’s tap-in (10th goal in the league).

Without Radonjic (stopped at least three weeks due to a muscle problem), Ivan Juric chooses the Miranchuk-Karamoh couple behind Sanabria. In the middle of the field confirmed Linetty next to Ilic. Lazaro is back as owner after almost 4 months. Gasperini deploys De Roon and Ederson in the heart of the field, later he relies on the two attacking midfielders (Koopmeiners, Pasalic) to support Hojlund. Very tactical first half, decided by just one episode. Before and after the goal “given” to Zappacosta, zero emotions. On the contrary zero we are towards the two doors. Tactical race, blocked in every sector. Gasperini moves his pawns in order to isolate the Schuurs-Hojlund duel up front, but the Dane loses all face-to-face with the Dutch del Toro. Djidji and Buongiorno in the second line are also very careful. The grenades control the first fraction for a long time, with Sanabria recoiling and “cleaning” a large number of balls trying to act as a springboard for the full backs and for the attacking midfielders: all according to the tactical plans up to the opponents’ 20 meters, when the last play is missing. In reality, Toro gets there once a stone’s throw from Sportiello — with Atalanta already in the lead —, and Ederson’s closure is amazing, reading Miranchuk’s poisonous post first of all.

At the start of the second half, Juric throws Vlasic into the fray instead of Karamoh. And the Croatian gasps, draws Miranchuk on the edge of the area, but then the Nerazzurri defense blocks the Russian’s way. In the 6th minute, Vlasic again: a dirty right foot from 20 meters and Sportiello rebounds with difficulty. Gasp then intervenes: inside Zapata and Boga for Hojlund and Pasalic. The Colombian is immediately dangerous with a violent right just wide. In the 16th minute Rodriguez’s left-handed slap from outside was tamed by Sportiello. The grenades take the field. They often bump into the Nerazzurri defensive organization, then the flash Miranchuk-Sanabria deceives the hosts. Up to Zapata’s masterpiece. “Great reaction after 1-1,” says Gasp.