Genoa managed to see out a 2-2 half-time score, and take a meaningful point away from Atalanta. This is Atalanta’s second time in two home matches dropping points to relegation squads, including their embarrassing 2-1 loss to SPAL two weeks ago. A far cry from their screaming 7-0 victory against Torino last week, Atalanta’s 2020 Jekyll and Hyde performance has unfortunately continued into February, and will likely make or break their season. With another goal from Josip Ilicic, and two assists from Duvan Zapata, its as if they’ve traded duties this year with Zapata becoming the playmaker and Ilicic the finisher. Both of them being substituted in the second half really isolated Papu Gomez, making it difficult for him to be the sole playmaker (Genoa was dogging Malinovskyi once he came on, barely giving him any room to operate).
While Atalanta has retaken 4th spot thanks to Sassuolo’s 4-2 victory over Roma yesterday, on this being Groundhog day, La Dea whimpered into 4th like a lamb rather than roaring into the Champion’s League spots like a lion. Even with a man advantage for the last 15 minutes, Atalanta looked lost on offense in the second half, even more so when Ilicic and Zapata were taken off for Muriel and Malinovskyi respectively. Ilicic was limping as he came off the field, so let’s hope that he didn’t pick up a serious knock, and instead he was just acting like “il nonno” as he is known by his teammates.
Now hats off to Genoa. Atalanta had difficulty playing out of the back today, so credit to Genoa’s forwards and wingers making life and passing out of the back more difficult than usual for the home side.* They capitalized on their penalty (after a STUPID foul be Hateboer), and a nice finish from Sanabria who toyed with Toloi to win the header and goal to put them in a good position to grind out a draw, and that’s exactly what they did. A crucial miss 1 on 1 miss by Ilicic helped put Genoa’s second half strategy into effect, and was the knife in the coffin for any chance Atalanta had to net a 3rd and decisive goal.
On a more touching note, former Atalanta staple, Andrea Masiello, started for his new squad today, and was serviceable enough to help squeeze out the draw. However, it was his actions after the game that were perhaps the best part of the match. His teary-eyed lap around the pitch, with his two girls, thanking La Dea fans for his service with the club was a fantastic gesture both from the fans and Masiello; showing both gratitude and gratefulness, that we sometimes fail to demonstrate in our relationships.
Going forward next week against Fiorentina, who Atalanta has had fits with this year (both in Seria A and Coppa Italia), a mental shift will absolutely be necessary to see out a victory and obtain a crucial 3 points. But like La Dea has proven time and time again this season, who knows which side will show up? Will it be the squad today and against SPAL who can’t pick up the maximum points they should be getting, or will it be the squad that comes out with their pants on fire relentlessly attacking and burying their opponents into the ground? For our sake let’s hope the latter!
*More on playing out of the back. This will be an issue that Atalanta seriously have to cope better with. Both Gosens and Hateboer were immediately met by a defender forcing a ball backwards or a heave forward to try and muster some offensive life. I imagine its a strategy teams will try to emulate, meaning its all the more important that either the back 3 can guide the ball forward (here’s looking at you Caldara), or Tameze can come in and be a ball shuttler Atalanta don’t necessarily have going up the middle. Pasalic plays better in the attacking third, and I’m not convinced of de Roon and Freuler’s ability to be consistent mid-field play-makers.
