BERGAMO – Just when a draw seemed certain, Samardzic struck in the 96th minute to give Atalanta an unexpected victory and three crucial points. Atalanta struggled against a more enterprising Bologna side, capable of taking control of the game from the opening minutes. The Nerazzurri struggled to find consistency and create any threat, while Tedesco's team created the better chances, blocked by a superb Carnesecchi, who also hit the post. In the second half, the barrage of substitutions made by the two coaches wasn't enough to spark a game that offered little offensive inspiration and, above all, little excitement, except in injury time when Samardzic found the winning opportunity.
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Sarri returns Zappacosta at right back, keeping Kolasinac on the opposite flank, with Kossounou and Scalvini pairing in the center in front of Carnesecchi. Pasalic is preferred to Samardzic in the midfield, along with Gaetano and Ederson. The attacking trio consists of De Ketelaere, Scamacca, and Raspadori. Tedesco keeps Ferguson and Pobega in the midfield, with Bernardeschi, Odgaard, and Cambiaghi behind Piccoli.
In the first quarter of an hour, Atalanta conceded too much space and initiative to Bologna. In the eighth minute, Kossounou's indecision allowed Cambiaghi to finish with a low shot that Carnesecchi was ready to block. In the 18th minute, the Atalanta goalkeeper blocked a powerful, angled left-footed shot from Bernardeschi. Bologna continued to maintain possession for a long time until the half-hour mark, and in the 31st minute, Bologna attempted another attempt with Piccoli going wide. Five minutes later, Atalanta's first response came through Raspadori, who attempted a right-footed shot to the near post off Scamacca's pass, but Skorupski saved. In the 42nd minute, Sarri's team tried again with Scamacca, receiving the ball from Pasalic and attempting a shot from the edge of the box, but Skorupski was well-placed. In the 45th minute, Carnesecchi performed a miracle, literally blocking Ferguson's close-range effort from Bernardeschi's cross.
Bologna almost scored at the start of the second half when Cambiaghi struck the post with a powerful right-footed shot. In the 10th minute, Sarri attempted to revitalize the attack, replacing wingers De Ketelaere and Raspadori with Zalewski and Elmas. In the 15th minute, Tedesco responded by bringing on Orsolini and Dovbyk for Odgaard and Piccoli. In the 23rd minute, Sarri again came from the bench, replacing Scamacca and Ederson with Krstovic and Samardzic, who moved into the midfield alongside Pasalic. Bologna responded promptly, bringing on Amondarain and Zortea in the 27th minute for Holm and Pobega. The back-and-forth substitutions continued. The final substitution on both sides was made: in the 33rd minute, Sarri brought on Bellanova for Kolasinac, while in the 35th minute, Tedesco brought on Moro for Orsolini, who was struggling with muscle problems. Bologna threatened again in the 43rd minute with Bernardeschi, who fired into the bottom corner, but Carnesecchi reached it and saved the score. The match seemed to be tied at 0-0, but in the 96th minute, Samardzic gave his team a victory with a sudden left-footed shot from distance that sent the New Balance Arena erupting and outwitted Bologna.
Three points, yes, but there's still a lot to improve on. This was the message that emerged from Maurizio Sarri's words in the post-match press conference. “We played a difficult match on a tactical level in the defensive phase and on a technical level in the offensive phase. – he declared –. Four games in eleven days can cloud your vision, but the team must be aware that they can do much better."”. At the moment, the coach's main concern is the defensive phase, and in this regard he underlined how important it would have been to have more rotation available.“I hope Kristensen is almost ready. Hien will take longer."” he said. The bench was also fundamental this evening. “"Aside from Samardzic, who scored the winning goal, the players who came off the bench did well. I think Krstovic also came on very well. The substitutions definitely gave us something. The players need to get into the mindset of football with the five substitutions. I think they're responding well from that perspective."” the coach emphasized. Speaking about individual players, Sarri described Carnesecchi, who put in an excellent performance, as a top-notch goalkeeper, a strong player who is doing very well. Turning his attention to the captain's role, the coach believes it's right to associate him with Ederson at this time, while also emphasizing that Pasalic wore the armband towards the end. Finally, speaking about the Atalanta atmosphere and the fans, Maurizio Sarri stated that he's enjoying himself: “"I was also happy for the fans, who had a tough night. It's a stadium where I feel comfortable."”.
ATALANTA (4-3-3): Carnesecchi 7.5 Zappacosta 6 Kossounou 6 Scalvini 6 Kolasinac 5.5 (33' st Bellanova sv) Pasalic 6 Gaetano 5.5 Ederson 5.5 (23' st Samardzic 7) De Ketelaere 5.5 (10' st Zalewski 6) Scamacca 5.5 (23' st Krstovic 5.5) Raspadori 5.5 (10' st Elmas 6). Available: Sportiello, Vismara, Obric, Bernasconi, Ibrahim Sulemana, Cassa. Trainer: Sarri
BOLOGNA (4-2-3-1): Skorupski 5 Holm 6 (27' st Amondarain 6) Heggem 6 Helland 6 Alhassane 6.5 Ferguson 6.5 Pobega 6 (27' st Zortea 6) Bernardeschi 7 Odgaard 6 (15' st Orsolini 6 35' st Moro sv) Cambiaghi 6.5 Piccoli 6 (15' st Dovbyk 6). Available: Pessina, Happonen, Theate, Casale, Libra Alvarado, De Silvestri, Miranda, Vitik. Trainer: German
Referee: Duties 5 Assistants: Peretti and Perrotti. IV officer: Calzavara Var: Dionisi. AVar: Marini
Goalscorers: 45'+6 st Samardzic
Yellow cards: Tedesco, Krstovic
Recovery: 1, 4
