BERGAMO – Atalanta suffered their first home defeat, falling 2-1 to Cagliari in a match in which the Nerazzurri failed to capitalize on their attacking prowess. Sarri's team played well in the first 15 minutes, before being surprised by the Rossoblu, who took the lead through Mendy, only to rally late in the first half, equalizing through Scamacca. The second half played out a similar story, with a blistering start and Atalanta pushing forward, until the penalty converted by former player Maldini just after the first half, tipping the balance in Cagliari's favor. Faced with difficulty penetrating the Sardinian defense, Sarri switched formations to a 4-2-3-2 in an attempt to get the game back on track. Atalanta increased the pressure, even creating a chance to level the score at 2-2, which Samardzic missed. Then the game became increasingly more complicated, and Cagliari held out until the final whistle, taking home the three points. This was the Sardinians' third win in the first four matchdays.
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In the absence of the suspended Gaetano, Sarri assigned Kessie to the central midfield, flanked by Samardzic and Ederson, confirming the defensive line he deployed against Roma. Rowe made his debut in the attacking trident alongside De Ketelaere and Scamacca. Pisacane chose Mendy as the attacking terminal, with Adopo and Maldini as attacking midfielders and a midfield trio of Romano, Winks, and Fazzini.
Atalanta produced a series of exchanges in the opening minutes, finally finishing in the sixth minute with Scamacca, who forced Caprile to parry. Until the quarter-hour mark, Atalanta persistently searched for gaps in the Cagliari defense. Then, in the 15th minute, the Rossoblu's first foray came with a powerful, angled shot from distance by Romano, which Carnesecchi stretched out to deflect. The warning came in the 19th minute when Cagliari took the lead through Adopo, who received a long ball from Romano and played it into the box for Mendy, who outdid Kossounou and beat Carnesecchi. Atalanta's response was halted by the Rossoblu's defensive wall, and in the 27th minute, they threatened again with Maldini, whose diagonal shot Carnesecchi leapt to deflect. From the half-hour mark, Sarri's team regained their accuracy near the opponent's penalty area. After Scamacca's shot went over, Kessie and Kolasinac both attempted to score from a corner, both of which went over the crossbar. Scamacca equalized in the 41st minute. De Ketelaere, running centrally, fed his striker, who slotted a crisp, diagonal shot past Caprile into the far corner.
Atalanta immediately went on the offensive at the start of the second half. In the third minute, Rowe was just a moment late in deflecting a Samardzic shot into the net. He then tried again, with a diagonal shot that went wide. In the seventh minute, Cagliari gave the home side a scare with a goal from Mendy, who raced from midfield toward Carnesecchi, beating him, but after starting from an offside position. The first substitution came in the 12th minute, with Pisacane replacing Fazzini with Fadera. The decisive moment came in the quarter-hour, with the Rossoblu awarded a penalty for a clear armbar by Kolasinac. Former Nerazzurri player Maldini wrong-footed Carnesecchi, putting Cagliari back in front. In the 23rd minute, Cagliari made another substitution with Sugawara coming on for Zé Pedro. Sarri brought on Krstovic and Bernasconi for Scamacca and Kolasinac. Atalanta had a golden opportunity on the half-hour mark when Samardzic made his way through the Sardinian defense but couldn't find the target. He then left the pitch to make way for Raspadori, with the team switching to a 4-2-3-1 formation. In the 34th minute, Pisacane again came off the bench, bringing on Kevin Carlos and Kofler for Mendy and Maldini. Atalanta attempted two openings with Kessie and once with Krstovic, but to no avail. In the 40th minute, Sarri made his final substitution, bringing on Pasalic for Kessie. In the final minutes, Atalanta tried everything to secure an equalizer. In the five minutes of added time, only Raspadori's shot went over. Atalanta's attempts were exhausted, and Cagliari took three points from Bergamo.
In the post-match press conference, Sardinian coach Fabio Pisacane proudly commented on the victory: “"This start gives us enthusiasm, it makes us understand that this victory isn't a finish line, but rather confirmation of a path forward. I'm pleased that the statistics reflect a team that has won three times in the first four matchdays."”. A victory that also brings with it an important dedication: “I dedicate this victory to Roberto Muzzi (mentor of the young striker Mendy), who lost his father.”. The Cagliari coach underlined that in these four matchdays the same players have always played; “"This data tells us that we change the players less because we want to give continuity to a standard formation that at this moment allows us to do so"”. “When you play against teams stronger than you, you have to hold on to everything and change your skin depending on the moment.” He then emphasized. Great gratitude also towards Atalanta and Mr. Sarri: “"Atalanta is a battleship, and it will be even more so when it becomes fully-fledged Sarri. In a few months, Atalanta will be even stronger than it is today because it is coached by a master."”. On the other hand, the Atalanta coach acknowledged a clear difference between his team's first and second half. “Maintaining the intensity of the first half wasn't easy. We dropped off compared to the first half, but Atalanta played a game of great intensity and territorial dominance. – he declared –. The intensity, the aggression, the desire to dominate the opponent were there. I feel sorry for the boys who tried to give it their all."”. Statistically, 85% emerged against a dominant 15%, and this, as highlighted by Maurizio Sarri, should have led to scoring and creating something more. “It wasn't easy at the end because there was a wall on the edge of the area” He added. Compared to individuals, he recognized Kolasinac as a player with experience and personality, who makes his presence felt within the team: “At the moment I like having him very involved, but this doesn't mean I've forgotten about Bernasconi”. The coach described Rowe as a guy who has less experience and who probably found himself “a little disoriented’, recognizing however that “he played like a lively player”. On the other hand, “Kessie plays with a different experience and fits in much more easily”. Nice words also for De Ketelaere: “"He played a game where he wasn't able to make an impact, but I liked his attitude. Given his technical ability and class, if he stays focused, sooner or later he'll make the difference."”. Finally, he recognized Bellanova's impressive speed and excellent insertion times: “I have the impression that he is a player on the launch pad”. In general, while in the previous matches Sarri had more the impression of having to "get things started", this evening he saw a step forward, recognizing that he has to do so today “file down”.
ATALANTA-CAGLIARI 1-2
ATALANTA (4-3-3): Carnesecchi 6 Bellanova 6 Kossounou 5.5 Scalvini 5.5 Kolasinac 5.5 (23' st Bernasconi 6) Samardzic 6 (31' st Raspadori 5.5) Kessie 6 (40' st Pasalic sv) Ederson 6 De Ketelaere 5.5 Scamacca 6.5 (23' st Krstovic 5.5) Rowe 5.5. Available: Pompei, Sportiello, Raspadori, Kristensen, Obric, Zalewski, Zappacosta, Elmas. Trainer: Sarri
CAGLIARI (3-4-2-1): Caprile 6 Zé Pedro 6.5 (23' st Sugawara 6) Deiola 6.5 Rodriguez 6.5 Obert 6 Romano 7 Winks 6.5 Fazzini 6.5 (12' st Fadera 6) Adopo 6.5 Maldini 6.5 (34' st Kevin Carlos sv) Mendy 7 (34' Kofler sv). Available: Sherri, Radunovic, Ciervo, Gagliardini, Aurelio, Mina, Liteta, Akarakiri, Sulev, Sugamele, Massolin. Trainer: Pisacane
Referee: Arena 6 Assistants: Bindoni and Rossi. IV officer: Manganiello Var: Gariglio AVar: Giua
Goalscorers: 19th minute Mendy, 42nd minute Scamacca, 16th minute Maldini (R)
Recovery: 1, 5
