Champions: the Dea conquers Stuttgart, 2-0 with Lookman and Zaniolo

Fresh from three victories in a row in the league including the prestigious one in Naples, Atalanta returns to winning ways in the Champions League too by beating Stuttgart away. On German soil it ends 2-0 for the Nerazzurri with the seal of the usual Lookman and the first sharp Bergamo strike from Zaniolo: Giampiero Gasperini’s team thus rises to 8 points in the standings, while Hoeness’ men, after the away success against Juve , they find a knockout, remaining stuck at 4.

The first chance of the match came in the 8th minute and fell on the right foot of Pasalic, who shot wide with his right foot after a good save from Retegui. Three turns later, here was the German response with Rouault, imprecise in front of goal with a header that ended high over the crossbar. The match is very balanced and fought, neither of the two teams manages to prevail over the other even if shortly after the half hour the Dea would have a potential chance to take the lead: Ederson puts it in the area for Pasalic, who misses the control and loses the time for the goal kick only in front of the goalkeeper. The last bell of the first half instead belongs to the home team with Undav, who close to the interval shoots towards the outside of the net after a verticalization by Fuhrich. At the start of the second half Gasperini immediately changed something by inserting De Ketelaere in Pasalic’s place and the Belgian himself, in the 51st minute, guessed the play to give Lookman the winning assist which made it 1-0 for Bergamo. Stuttgart is not willing and tries to respond immediately with the new substitute Demirovic, but in the 73rd minute it is Atalanta who comes close to doubling the lead: this time De Ketelaere heads Zappacosta’s cross, but without cornering the conclusion and favoring the save doorman.

In the final, Malanga and Stenzel sent shivers down the Nerazzurri’s spine, then in the 88th minute Zaniolo secured his team’s success by making it 2-0 which closed the score early.

The scoreboard

STUTTGART (4-2-3-1): Cloud 6; Wagnoman 5.5, Chase 5.5 (36’st Stenzel sv), Rouault 5, Mittelstadt 5; Karazor 6 (29’st Rieder 6), Stiller 5.5; Millot 6.5, Undav 5.5 (11’st Demirovic 6.5), Fuhrich 5 (29’st Chabot 6); Touré 5 (36’st Malanga sv). On the bench: Bredlow, Seimen, Al-Dakhil, Keitel, Kratzig, Stergiou.

Trainer: Hoeness 5.5

ATALANTA (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi 6; Djimsiti 6.5, Hien 7, Kolasinac sv (13’pt Kossounou 6.5); Bellanova 6.5 (39’st Brescianini sv), De Roon 6.5, Ederson 7, Zappacosta 6.5; Pasalic 5.5 (1’st De Ketelaere 7); Retegui 6 (24’st Zaniolo 7), Lookman 7.5 (39’st Brescianini sv). On the bench: Rui Patricio, Rossi, Toloi, Godfrey, Cuadrado, Samardzic, Palestra. Coach: Gasperini 7.5 REFEREE: Rade Obrenovic (Slovenia) 5.5 GOALS: 6’st Lookman, 43’st Zaniolo NOTES: pitch in good condition. Spectators: 60,000. Booked: Chase, Hien, Ederson, Demirovic, Bellanova. Corners: 4-3. Recovery: 1’pt, 4’st.TOCCARDA (4-2-3-1): Nubel 6; Vagnoman 5.5, Chase 5.5 (36’st Stenzel sv), Rouault 5, Mittelstadt 5; Karazor 6 (29’st Rieder 6), Stiller 5.5; Millot 6.5, Undav 5.5 (11’st Demirovic 6.5), Fuhrich 5 (29’st Chabot 6); Touré 5 (36’st Malanga sv). On the bench: Bredlow, Seimen, Al-Dakhil, Keitel, Kratzig, Stergiou. Coach: Hoeness 5.5 ATALANTA (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi 6; Djimsiti 6.5, Hien 7, Kolasinac sv (13’pt Kossounou 6.5); Bellanova 6.5 (39’st Brescianini sv), De Roon 6.5, Ederson 7, Zappacosta 6.5; Pasalic 5.5 (1’st De Ketelaere 7); Retegui 6 (24’st Zaniolo 7), Lookman 7.5 (39’st Brescianini sv). On the bench: Rui Patricio, Rossi, Toloi, Godfrey, Cuadrado, Samardzic, Palestra. Coach: Gasperini 7.5 REFEREE: Rade Obrenovic (Slovenia) 5.5 GOALS: 6’st Lookman, 43’st Zaniolo NOTES: pitch in good condition. Spectators: 60,000. Booked: Chase, Hien, Ederson, Demirovic, Bellanova. Corners: 4-3. Recovery: 1’pt, 4’st.