Atalanta-Sturm Graz 5-0, the Goddess flies to the Champions League and dreams

A brilliant Atalanta regains victory in the Champions League and wins clearly 5-0 in Bergamo against the Austrians Sturm Graz. Thanks to this success, Gasperini’s team temporarily moves to third place in the league table of the new Champions League with 14 points while waiting for the other matches to be played. Sturm Graz remains in 30th place with just 3 points in the standings and is now eliminated from the competition.

The match

The first half was dominated for long stretches by Atalanta, who however risked going behind in the 11th minute, when Camara runs away from Kolasinac but misses the target in front of Carnesecchi. Then Gasperini’s team wakes up and takes the lead in the 12th minute: error on exit by Aiwu gives the ball to Samardzic who widens for Zappacosta who in turn passes it backwards for Retegui, who only has to push the ball into the goal for the 1-0 goal. The Nerazzurri then continued to press, and came close to doubling their lead first with De Ketelaere, then with Zappacosta and finally again with Retegui but without finding a way to score.

At the beginning of the second half Gasperini changes and inserts Lookman for Retegui and Cuadrado for Palestra. The Bergamo team came close to doubling their lead in the 47th minute when Lookman supported Kolasinac’s passing pass but Scherpen stretched out and put it in the corner. In the 50th minute the goal arrives for the Nerazzurri thanks to Samardzic who pots in for Lookmanwho controls and serves De Ketelaere for 2-0, but VAR cancels it due to Lookman’s offside. The Austrians are no longer able to hold off Atalanta’s advances and in the 57th minute Scherpen blocks Lookman’s shot with his feet and saves his team.

The doubling, however, is in the air and arrives in the 58th minute thanks to the newly introduced Pasalić who reiterates Cuadrado’s tense cross into the net from two steps, for the 2-0. The home team continues to push and at 63′ drops the tris: corner out by Cuadrado, who catches Hien in the middle of the area with the former Verona player who harpoons the ball and touches it close to De Ketelaere who mocks everyone with a tip and makes it 3-0. Sturm Graz can’t get out of their area and in the 72nd minute Lookman wastes the ball to make it 4-0. The Nigerian controls and, face to face with Scherpen, shoots high with his left foot.

In the 74th minute Pasalic sent a ball through vertically for the introduction of Brescianini who had also recently entered, who controlled and kicked with his left foot, but lost time and allowed Aiwu to stop him with a slide. In the 80th minute, another goal was disallowed for Atalanta: Ederson verticalized for Zappacosta, who turned and crossed the shot with his left foot, beating Scherpan, but also in this case the goal was disallowed due to the number 77 being offside.

Sturm Graz shows up again in the 85th minute with Zvonarek controlling and shooting to the near post but Carnesecchi keeps good guard and blocks with his body. Atalanta conceded the poker in the 90th minute with Lookman who headed a perfect cross from De Ketelaere into the net from two steps away. Gasperini’s team doesn’t stop and Brescianini finds the right hand in the 94th minute to make it 5-0 final, the Nerazzurri triumph and the certainty of at least qualifying for the playoffs.