Midweek fixtures can always be tricky situations, but Atalanta ensured that its upcoming brutal streak of matches started off on the right foot. Atalanta was able to see out a 2-1 victory against a dangerous Sassuolo side that has now lost three consecutive matches for the first time in three seasons. Dionisi’s opted to use his depth on offense, starting Gregor Defrel and Hamed Traore up front in attack, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the match. Skying his one on one against Juan Musso, and missing a clear-cut header in the 2nd half, Defrel did not do his team any favors – who had to rely on the heroics of a perfectly place strike from Domenico Berardi to get on the scoresheet.
But the match wasn’t all about taking advantage of Defrel’s misses – Atalanta was finally able to formulate a potent attack, putting Sassuolo on the backheel for the first three quarters of the match. Not only did Ruslan Malinovskyi make a full 180 from his Saturday performance against Salernitana, the entire attack was lively and hungry. Getting goals from both wingers – Robin Gosens and Davide Zappacosta – Atalanta looked like the Atalanta of old at times, and is getting closer and closer to to having the offense firing on all cylinders.
One could argue that La Dea should have put away a few more of its chances, but the offense game plan looked complete, which is more encouraging. Combining long balls up to the attacking midfielders, crosses from the wings, and several stretches of lightning quick nifty passes, Atalanta put in a varied offensive approach – an incredibly effective strategy against a club that’s willing to give up space in defense. The ability to keep defenses guessing will be key, and Atalanta demonstrated for the first time this season the ability to throw different looks at a defense.
Teun Koopmeiners Knows How To Contribute
A lot of Atalanta’s offensive success can appropriately be attributed to the attacking midfield, but it cannot be understated the space Teun Koopmeiners was able to unlock with his play. Ignoring his stellar defense and coverage play, his passing was on point. He pinged four long balls to relieve pressure on the back and initiate attacks, and flew back and forth across the half way line to provide support when asked.
Just compare Koopmeiner’s match heatmap to that of de Roon’s. You don’t need my help to figure out who’s is who’s. No hate on de Roon who was focused on a more defensive approach. But Koopmeiners was excellent in helping with the speed of Muldur and the trickery of Berardi, while also aiding in support of Pezzella at the end of the match to help see out the three points. If he can continue this form, it is challenging to envision how he doesn’t become a bonafide starter.
Man of the Match- Davide Zappacosta
Frankly Koopmeiners is an equally good shout, but Zappacosta was cooking in the first half. Beyond his goal (he redeemed himself for the miss last week!), him and Malinovskyi had it going on, taking Kyriakopolous to school. He created acres of space for himself, and his ball rention was also excellent – helping to ease pressure coming from Sassuolo left side of the pitch. Its still crazy to think that Zappacosta has only been with the club for four matches. It feels like he’s been in Atalanta blue and black forever! Once he finds a little more touch on those crosses, he can become a dynamo that should have Zapata and Gosens licking their lips.
Other Atalanta Odds and Ends
Serie A has begun publishing Attacking Dangerousity scores in its match reports – a measure to calculate the propensity of danger in a team’s attack. I’m still uncertain about the stat, but Atalanta received a score of 57.4% versus Sassuolo’s 50.9%. Interestingly Atalanta received a 59.2% score against Salernitana, when the offense seemed much more anemic. More to come on this one…
While Merih Demiral lost Gregor Defrel on both his chances, the Turk still had a very good game. He excels when he can see the game in front of him, confirmed by his aerial and tackling numbers, but just needs to dial in his awareness to step up to the next level.
As good as a shot stopper Juan Musso is, he can be equally shaky when attacking crosses and free kicks. He looked hesitant multiple times today on balls into the box. Perhaps its acclimation with the defense, but it is something to monitor to see if it improves.
Atalanta have now scored six goals in its first five Serie A matches, its fewest goals in five matches since the 2016-2017 season. Still looking for the one offensive outburst match.
Duvan Zapata has now scored or assisted in all four matches he has played this season. Zapata has combined for 81 goals and assists in his time with La Dea, good for about 0.97 goals + assists per ninety minutes.
As rocky as the season has felt so far, today’s victory goes a long way in helping Atalanta stay close to the top of the table. Currently sitting in 4th, before the rest of the league kicks off on Wednesday and Thursday, Atalanta is only three points behind Scudetto favorites Inter – and a victory on Saturday could even see both the Lombardian teams equal on points. Tuesday was essential for instilling confidence in the team, and getting the entire squad comfortable match minutes. Matteo Lovato seems to be the odd man out right now, but the depth the squad possesses is a stark difference from what it was last year. The summer signings feel like wins so far, let’s just hope they can continue converting into wins on the calendar! As always, Forza Dea!!!
