It looked like Monday night was going to offer more of the same for Atalanta fans all over the globe. An offense without identity, perhaps trademarked by a penchant for unnecessary passes between the centerbacks and wingbacks, Atalanta had no steam going forward. Meek was probably the best way to describe the first half performance, and it inundated my mind with all the crazy scenarios of what would need to happen when the inevitable teardown starts.
But then the second half came around, and everything changed. The little used Jeremie Boga came on and delivered his best performance since the Europa League, and it was enough to spearhead Atalanta’s comeback. A brilliant laser from Teun Koopmeiners kicked off Atalanta’s goal proceedings, but the neatly timed dribble and connection with Rasmus Hojlund embodied everything us as fans were clamoring for in an offense. Its crazy it just took the combination of Boga and Hojlund for us to attain it.
A 2-1 victory now puts Atalanta level with the Roman clubs in the table, but more importantly Monday’s positive performance could’ve help propel an Atalanta side that hadn’t won since October. Winning and confidence is contagious and it can come as easy as it is to take away. But for now, let us hope that Monday’s three points is the start of good times in Bergamo we haven’t had since October!
Nick’s Match Ratings
Juan Musso: 7
Rafael Toloi: 6.5 – Overall he was fine, but one dangerous back pass he completed was centimeters from turning into a dangerous opportunity to Bologna.
Jose Luis Palomino: 6.5
Giorgio Scalvini: 6.5
Hans Hateboer: 5 – Invisible is the best way to describe his performance.
Matteo Ruggeri: 7 – A much better performance from the youngster, with the headiness to play composed balls when his team was trying to see the game out.
Marten de Roon: 7
Teun Koopmeiners: 7.5 – The day Ruslan Malinovskyi sadly joins Olympique Marseile, Koopmeiners does his best impression of the Ukrainian with a perfectly placed strike from distance.
Mario Pasalic: 5.5
Duvan Zapata: 5 – Its so sad to see Zapata struggle to get back into form, and with the way Hojlund is playing he doesn’t really deserve the chance to play back into Gasperini’s good graces.
Rasmus Hojlund: 7.5 – A great goal finished off an overall great performance. Back to goal, running the channels, linking up his teammates – he did it all.
Davide Zappacosta: 7 – His hustle, aggression, and industry was night and day from whatever it was that Hateboer previously offered on the right.
Jeremie Boga: 7.5 – Did Atalanta’s #10 do enough to increase his leash at Atalanta? Regardless of what happens with Boga, it was a great contribution – he was vital for the three points.
Ederson: 7
Merih Demiral: 6.5
Berat Djimsiti: n/a
Nick’s Man of the Match – Rasmus Hojlund
His goal was just the cherry on top to cap off a well-rounded contest. Jhon Lucumi did not give a lot of room to breathe, but he stood his ground firmly and put in an ideal number 9’s performance. Now with goals in back to back contests, he has quickly become a staple of the starting XI. As his finishing continues to improve, no one should be surprised if he ends up as Atalanta’s top scorer on the season (even if Ademola Lookman has a four goal head start on him right now).
Three Match Takeaways
One- As shaky as the defense looked early on, the unit ultimately was efficient. Permitting only 0.51 expected goals on the night (compared to Atalanta’s 0.61 xG), the defense clinched down even further in the second half, allowing 0.15 xG and one shot on target after taking the lead. The back three gave a strong bend-don’t-break performance, but it was Marten de Roon, to me, that provided an excellent first line of defense with astute positioning and staying neck and neck with Nicolas Dominguez. Even Davide Zappacosta got in on the action defensively, becoming much more lively than the man he replaced – Hans Hateboer.
Two – It’s impossible not to have second thoughts on whether Jeremie Boga has a spot on the team after a sparkling second half showing. It’s all too commonplace for football plans to get emotionally carried away following a spectacular or poor showing; and Boga definitely stirred up all the emotions again today. He essentially had one foot out the door already, but with Ruslan Malinovskyi no longer in the picture, and Luis Muriel nursing an injury of unknown severity, is there still room for Boga in the mix? He likely wouldn’t replace Ademola Lookman as a starter, but his mere presence did wonders in loosening the vice grip Bologna had on Atalanta’s attack. I wouldn’t be shocked if he still left this winter, but for once with Atalanta if he’s able to hook up with a legitimate scorer – it may unleash him in a way he’s never been unleashed in black and blue. Frankly, I think it’s worth a shot, why sell when he’s at his lowest value?
Three- After watching Hans Hateboer trudge his way through many a match this year, I think it is now safe to say we took Davide Zappacosta for granted last year. While not prolific in any one facet of the game, his baseline level is absolutely playable – and today we got a reminder of what its like when a guy puts his head down and just works. His defense was excellent, and his offensive forays – while they didn’t lead to goals – at least carried a threat of danger. It looks like Zappacosta may be well on his way to cementing a spot in the starting lineup.
For the second consecutive match, Atalanta’s offense came good in the second half netting two goals both times out. However, what made Monday different was the defensive solidity that led to the subsequent offensive output. Sure Riccardo Orsolini scored early, but his goal was converted from a 0.06 xG chance, and his brilliance led more to that goal than any defensive frailties. But from then on out the defense was stout.
The 0.51 xG prevented was the fewest since Atalanta’s days of stingy defense against Torino on the fourth matchday. And that what it’ll take for this team to continue having success. Scoring in buckets is not an option, so it will come down to a well rounded game plan with defense and offense being an equal priority. Monday may have given us the most balanced output we’ve seen the Sassuolo match. Let’s hope it continues, and leads to many more happy nights! Great victory, and as always, Forza Dea!
