There didn’t seem like there was going to be too much to get excited about in this match. The first 45 minutes of football saw Gian Piero Gasperini and his squad play right into the hands of Gabriele Cioffi’s “make-it-ugly” setup. Movement was sluggish, there was no intent going forward, and the only positive seemed to be that somehow Hellas Verona wasn’t able to register a shot on target.
But then everything changed in the second half. Gasperini often gets criticized for making incorrect substitutions when singular selections can have a huge impact on a match’s outcome. Sunday he got it right. Inserting Ederson into the lineup and switching to an occasionally used back four tactic opened the game up like the Bentegodi had been constructed inside the Grand Canyon. Ederson’s energy may have been the catalyst that took Atalanta to victory, but ultimately Teun Koopmeiner’s missile – that was available thanks to the space that opened up in the second half – was the clincher.
Back to Ederson – without him there’s serious questions whether Atalanta even gets off the pine, and his inclusion seriously raises questions on if Atalanta should consider moving to the 4-2-2-2 setup that was extremely effective against Verona. There’s time for speculation later, but let’s just savor the win after Atalanta looked like it was down and out. OH, and of course be thrilled about the new energizer bunny that all but cemented himself into the starting midfield.
Key to Victory Recap: Win the Midfield Battle
Early on Atalanta was losing every battle, both the skill battles and the hustle battles. But ultimately Atalanta’s midfield persevered, which had more to do with the tactical changeup than anything else. Marten de Roon and Teun Koopmeiners did themselves well in the end, but the added help of Ederson and Ruslan Malinovskyi in the second half permitted Koopmeiners more expressive freedom. There really may be something there with an n > 2 midfield.
Atalanta Passione’s Match Ratings
Juan Musso: 7 – He made the saves he had to, and recovered nicely on Darko Lazovic’s cross/shot.
Caleb Okoli: 7.5 – Not only did he fail to put a foot wrong, he also battled valiantly with Verona’s gigantic center forwards, Thomas Henry and Milan Djuric.
Merih Demiral: 7.5 – He was Okoli’s partner in crime and did well playing a bit more passive and keeping up with the pace of Kevin Lasagna.
Rafael Toloi: 7.5 – An excellent effort switching onto the left wing when times got tough. He was close to putting the game away with a blistering shot, but his work defensively was instrumental.
Hans Hateboer: 5.5 – The Dutchman had minimal contribution to any aspect of the match while he was on. His slow touch and offensive motor was back, sadly.
Brandon Soppy: 6 – Not the best debut for the Frenchman, even though he was being asked to play on his weaker side. There were some interesting flashes offensively, and he does have a dribble in him.
Marten de Roon: 6.5 – His compatriot helped him out with the world’s easiest assist, but it was a steady game at the back in the second half that helped to see out the victory.
Teun Koopmeiners: 7 – A brilliant goal, but things could have gone much different without the added confidence boost from putting one home. He was all out of sorts in the first half, but seemed instantly energized once Ederson entered the match.
Ademola Lookman: 5.5 – Heavy touches and lack of offensive assertion suggests he still needs a bit of time to gel with the squad and get up to speed as a starter.
Ruslan Malinovskyi: 5.5 – Wasteful passes and touches are becoming his mantra, but he still has a ball in him when he’s allowed to start his play from deeper without worrying about acting as a second striker.
Duvan Zapata: 6.5 – Again he was asked to do all the dirty work, and did admirably with the myriad of long balls that came his way. His touch and turn were heavy and slow today, but he anchored everyone nicely in the second half.
Luis Muriel: 6 – The Colombian was largely ineffective again, and was the weakest of the offensive options that contributed to chances in the second half.
Ederson: 7.5 – Instant game changer combining a delightful bit of spirit and skill.
Nadir Zortea: 6.5 – He may be playing himself into starter’s minutes soon, and his performance today was solid.
Jeremie Boga: 6.5 – Atalanta’s number 10 had himself a decent season debut. His dribbling helped the squad get out of a few spots of bother, but his final ball was still lacking.
Joakim Maehle: n/a
Atalanta Passione’s Man of the Match – Ederson
As good as Okoli, Demiral, and Toloi were, it was a different match when Ederson came on. He was decisive, energized, and determined. Its possible Atalanta keep a cleansheet still if Ederson did not play, but it feels improbable that they would score if he had stayed on the bench.
Other Match Odds and Ends
Verona xG – 0.41 | Atalanta xG – 0.64 – Sloppy chances all around, which is a good testament to the defenses not giving up any egregious chances. Its quite remarkable that Jeremie Boga’s close range chance at 0.11 xG in the 71st minute was the best chance for either side all game.
For those curious, Ederson’s clearcut chance on the stroke of extra time had a 0.10 xG – and Koopmeiner’s goal only had a 0.03 xG.
Caleb Okoli still deserves a shoutout as my vice man of the match and the statistics back it up. He sniffed out 3 out his 4 tackles attempted, and produced double digit clearances, interceptions, and recoveries (combined). Most importantly, he won 5 out of 6 aerial duels against Verona’s trees. An excellent performance from the youngster.
Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel are still scoreless on the year. This is the first time since both Colombians have been on the squad together that they have a combined 0 goals after three matches. Both could use a goal for confidence surely – especially Duvan for all the dirty work he is being asked to do.
Back to Muriel, in fact this is the first season in Atalanta colors that he had not scored on the first matchday! He notched a brace against SPAL , in 2019 and then scored a goal in consecutive seasons against Torino.
Seven points out of nine is an encouraging way to finish off August, and things are definitely looking brighter than they did at the start of the month. The emergence of some key new pieces to the squad, plus the rounding out of the squad’s depth with some exciting signings should have everyone encouraged moving forward. Still nothing looks easy for Atalanta, yet, and we may have to put up with some rocky patches here and there. But there is a process in place and there is still every reason to have high hopes for what’s to come this year. Great response today, and let’s carry it into the short week! As always, Forza Dea!
