(PRIMASPORT) BERGAMO – The’Atalanta exceeds the Paphos for 3-1 on his debut in Conference League, at the end of a game that was decisive from the start and controlled with authority for much of the ninety minutes. Despite the absences and Sarri's rotation, Atalanta started with full force, taking the lead early through Elmas and doubling the lead through Raspadori from a penalty. However, the striker was forced to leave the pitch with a muscle injury, adding to the list of unavailable players. Scamacca capped a first-half victory with a third goal from a De Ketelaere assist. In the second half, Atalanta slowed the pace but remained threatening, coming close to a fourth goal several times and conceding little to their opponents. Pafos pulled one back through Biel in the closing stages, while the Nerazzurri came very close again when Samardzic hit the post and Elmas then had a chance. A deserved victory for Sarri's team, which confirmed their superiority and secured their first three points in the European competition.
THE NEWS
Sarri has now reduced the number of defenders to three, with Hien and Kossounou recovering and Scalvini joining him, suffering from a low-grade flexor muscle strain in his left leg. He will also miss the San Siro match against AC Milan. Kessie was not called up due to an overloaded right calf, and Bellanova was also rested as a precaution. Sarri, however, is rotating the squad, with the exception of the four players making up the back four. In front of Carnesecchi, the central defenders are Kristensen and Kolasinac, with Zappacosta and Bernasconi on the wings. In midfield, Pasalic and Gaetano, Elmas, Raspadori, and Zalewski are in the attacking midfield, and Scamacca is the attacking outlet. Pafos lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. It took Atalanta just under a minute to break the deadlock. Elmas gave Atalanta the lead with a precise right-footed shot from a low Raspadori cross. Pafos were hit hard, and when they attempted to react, it was of little avail. Thus, in the 15th minute, Majecki saved with a diving save from Raspadori's powerful, angled left-footed shot from the edge of the box. Shortly afterward, Zalewski was pushed and brought down by Bruno in the box, and the referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot. Raspadori converted, wrong-footing the keeper, making it 2-0. In the 21st minute, Raspadori himself was forced off the pitch with a right thigh flexor problem, and Sarri brought on De Ketelaere. In the 24th minute, in Atalanta's only defensive lapse, Pafos almost scored through Lelê, who found himself unmarked in front of Carnesecchi, but his shot went wide. In the 37th minute, Sà Pinto was forced to make his first substitution of the match following the injury to captain David Luiz, who was replaced by Ken Sema. In the 41st minute, Carnesecchi made a confident save on two Pafos shots, then in the 44th minute, De Ketelaere found the vertical lane to pass Scamacca centrally, who easily scored the third.
The second half began with a double substitution for Pafos. Sá Pinto brought on Correia and Brito for Bruno and Quina. In the ninth minute, Atalanta attempted to threaten with a central pass to Pasalic, but he was promptly closed down by Sunjic. After 15 minutes, the Nerazzurri returned to the attack with a free kick from Gaetano, whose curling right-footer went just wide. In the 21st minute, the Nerazzurri nearly scored a fourth goal through De Ketelaere, who headed in an Elmas corner, but it didn't find the target. Scamacca attempted to intervene to correct the trajectory, but to no avail. A minute later, two more substitutions were made for Atalanta, with Zalewski and Pasalic coming off for Samardzic and Ederson. Sà Pinto responded by bringing on Guga and Anderson Silva for Pepé and Lelê. In the 26th minute, the home side threatened again with Scamacca, who headed a Samardzic cross just wide. Pafos attempted to respond, scaring Carnesecchi, who lost control under pressure from Anderson Silva, but managed to recover it in time. In the 34th minute, Idele, born in 2007 and a product of the Nerazzurri youth system, made his debut, replacing Kristensen. His introduction prompted a change in Atalanta's defensive setup, with Zappacosta moving to a central position. In the 43rd minute, Pafos reduced the deficit through Biel, who found the net with a right-footed shot from inside the box, beating Carnesecchi. In the final minute of added time, Atalanta came very close to scoring a fourth goal when Samardzic hit the post, and Elmas attempted to find the rebound from a tight angle, but Majecki deflected the ball out for a corner.
SCOREBOARD
ATALANTA-PAFOS 3-1
ATALANTA (4-2-3-1): Carnesecchi 6 Zappacosta 6 Kristensen 6.5 (34' st Idele sv) Kolasinac 6 Bernasconi 6 Pasalic 6.5 (22' st Ederson 6) Gaetano 6.5 Elmas 7 Raspadori 7 (21' pt De Ketelaere 7) Zalewski 7 (22' st Samardzic 6.5) Scamacca 7. Subs: Sportiello, Sonzogni, Obric, Rowe, Krstovic. Coach: Sarri
PAFOS (4-2-3-1): Majecki 5.5 Bruno 5 (1' st Correia 5.5) David Luiz 5.5 (37' st Kem Sema 5.5) Mmaee 5.5 N. Iannou 5.5 Pepé 5.5 (24' st Guga 6) Sunjic 5.5 Quina 5.5 (1' st Brito 5.5) Dragomir 6 Biel 6.5 Lelé 6 (24' st Anderson Silva 6). Available: Petrou, Papastylianou, K. Ionnau, Kais, Evzonas, Michael. All. Sà Pinto
Referee: Ladebäck (Sweden) 6 Assistant Referees Mehmet Culum (SWE) and Daniel Yng (SWE), IV Oscar Johnson (SWE); VAR Jan Boterberg (BEL), AVAR Bert Put (BEL).
Goalscorers: 1st half Elmas, 19th half Raspadori (R), 44th half Scamacca, 43rd half Biel
Ammonites: Sà Pinto
Recovery: 2, 3 (PRIMASPORT)