Il Lecce it confirms itself as an indigestible team to the greats of our championship and inflicts the second defeat in two matches against Atalanta. Al Gewiss finisce 2-1 for the people of Salento, who open the ball after just five minutes with a right foot from thirty meters by Ceesay (some complicity of Musso) and check almost without risking the game until doubling by Angry header in the 74th minute. The network is useless Hojlundwhich takes advantage of a resounding naivety of Falcone at 84′. Inconsistent race for the Bergamo players, who complicate the run-up to a place in the Champions slipping to three lengths from Milan and six from Inter. Il Lecceonce again very square, leads instead to two points from Bologna’s seventh place which would be worth qualifying for the next one Conference.
THE MATCH
On the one hand
Atalantawhich confirms this fluctuating and very dangerous trend in a Champions League key (
2 wins and 2 losses in the last 4 games). On the other the
Lecce big-killers, flesh-and-blood nightmare of all the big names in our championship between victories (
2 with Atalanta and one with Lazio), draws (
Naples, Milan and Rome) and defeats at the photo finish and also in some ways undeserved (
against Inter and Juventus). In the middle of a game that immediately goes uphill for the Bergamo players, hit cold, after just 5 minutes,
from Ceesay’s land-to-air (preferred to
Colombo) which surprises from 30 meters a
Musso uncertain. All to summarize a first half played very well by the Salento (without
Strefezzainitially on the bench), always high and coordinated in pressing on the start of the Nerazzurri maneuver and very attentive in the middle of the pitch (excellent match
Angry e
Wheelman) and in defence, and, conversely, 45 abundant minutes of chaos at the home of an Atalanta tangled in on itself and properly buffered on the ball carriers (
Buyers ed
Ederson in the shade) and on the outside. The only, small, exception on the axis
Lookman-Hojlund which is and remains crystalline talent even on days of lesser vein.
The Gewiss game isn’t exactly beautiful, but it’s dynamic, fought for every ball, even rough when needed. And given that it is uncorked immediately, also conducted on the subject probably better qualitatively, with
Atalanta to push the search for a breakeven and the
Lecce to defend themselves in order and start again. The fact is that the first 45 minutes produce at least three important chances. Before and
Hojlund to touch the equal head after having anticipated well
Bashkir (15′), so he thinks about it
Falcone to defuse a right foot at the near post by
Lookman after a very good personal initiative by the Nigerian striker, finally it is
Maehle to waste a clean scoring ball by kicking too centrally on a perfect serve always by
Lookman.
The recovery follows the same leitmotif with
Atalanta always looking for spaces that don’t exist and Lecce which, also thanks to the additions of
Colombo and Strefezza, is limited to a few sporadic restarts. The Goddess, with
Soppy instead of a disappointing
Zappacostacontinues to move the ball from one side of the field to the other without almost ever reaching a shot, except with an oversized right foot by
Ederson at the start of shooting. Lecce, for its part, raises the wall to protect Falcone (always attentive). Gasperini then tries to play the card
Muriel in the place of
have to give even greater weight and unpredictability to his attack, but it is Musso who risks more with a delayed postponement and almost intercepted by Colombo. The knockout blow comes in the 74th minute, when
Angry take advantage of a somewhat soft marking of
Hojlund from a corner to double his head in the only Salento occasion of the second half. Atalanta tries to react with a right-footed shot from Toloi not long before finding the hopeful goal with
Hojlundwhich takes advantage of a sensational mistake by
Falcone to intercept the clearance from the Giallorossi goalkeeper and reopen the match (84′). The seven minutes of added time are an assault with white weapons: Falcone redeems himself with a miracle
Muriel and effectively closes the accounts. Atalanta collects the second in the last four games and slips to 3 points behind Milan third in the standings. Lecce instead moves to two points from the seventh place of Bologna which is worth Europe.
REPORT CARDS
Falcone 6 – Abundant 7 match ruined by Hojlund’s goal error. She redeems herself with a sensational save on Muriel in full recovery. Always safe and attentive, he repeats the excellent performance of a week ago against Roma
Angry 7,5 – Together with Hjulmand he closes every millimeter of space in the middle of the field and always restarts the action intelligently. The icing on an already so tasty cake is the header that is worth three points
Bashkir 7 – Not even a little beautiful, indeed, sometimes even too attentive to concreteness. But against Hojlund, who drove many crazy, he is never wrong. Rocky, always concentrated in advance, unbeatable with his head. Excellent point of reference for a defense that knows how to withstand the impact of any opponent
Barons 7 – Unusual report card for a coach, we know. However, given that the numbers during the week have become famous (read Allegri, ed), his driving a newly promoted team against the big names in our championship are ap-pl-au-si, written like this, with spaces: three victories (two Atalanta and Lazio), three draws (Naples, Milan and Rome), two narrow defeats and always in the final minutes (Inter and Juve). What more do you want? Nothing, really nothing.
Hojlund 6 – He saves himself for the goal that reopens the match in the last minutes but even without that he is still among the most positive. Almost zero playable balls. A wide header and some good play in tandem with Lookman (one led to the goal disallowed for offside by the Nigerian)
Koopmeiners 5 – Oddly not today. Little reactive in the defensive phase, little participant in the offensive one. For one who is always seen everywhere, 90′ from almost invisible
Vorlicky 6,5 – About twenty minutes into the race practically compromised to make it clear that keeping an eye on him will be good and right. Personality and technique, 21 years old. We’ll talk about it again.
THE TABLE
ATALANTA-LECCE 1-2
Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Musso 5; Toloi 6.5, Demiral 6.5 (30′ st Palomino 6), Djimsiti 6; Zappacosta 5 (1′ st Soppy 5.5), Ederson 5.5 (30′ st Vorlicky 6.5), Koopmeiners 5, Maehle 5.5; Lookman 5.5, Boga 5 (23′ st Muriel 5.5); Hojlund 6.
A disp.: Rossi, Sportiello, Okoli, Palomino, Ruggeri, Muhameti.
All.: Gasperini 5
Lecce (4-3-3): Falcon 6; Gendrey 6, Baschirotto 7, Tuia 6.5 (23′ st Ceccaroni 6.5), Gallo 6; Blin 7.5, Hjulmand 7, Maleh 6.5 (26′ st Askildsen 6); Banda 5.5 (17′ st Strefezza 5.5), Ceesay 6.5 (17′ st Colombo 6), Di Francesco 6 (23′ st Oudin 5.5).
A disp.: Bleve, Brancolini, Cassandro, Ceccaroni, Lemmens, Pezzella, Romagnoli, Askildsen, Helgason, Oudin, Voelkerling.
All.: Barons 7
Referee: little ones
Markers: 4′ Ceesay, 29′ st Blin (L), 42′ st Hojlund
Ammonite yourself: Demiral, Zappacosta (A), Di Franchesco, Gallo, Blin (L)
Expelled: –
THE STATISTICS
• Wladimiro Falcone made nine saves in the match, only in January 2022 against Torino did he do better in a Serie A match (10).
• Lecce scored with their only two shots on target in the match.
• Of the players in Europe’s top five leagues with at least six goals, only Moukoko and Musiala are younger than Rasmus Højlund.
• Lecce found the net for the first time in Serie A against Atalanta in four games in a row.
• Assan Ceesay’s is Lecce’s fastest away goal in Serie A since 23 April 2011 (Di Michele against Genoa).
• Assan Ceesay had not scored in eight Serie A matches, his last goal coming against Fiorentina on 17 October.
• All of the four goals Assan Ceesay has scored in this league have been in games started from the first minute.
• Alexis Blin scored his first Serie A goal in 21 appearances, becoming Lecce’s eighth goalscorer this campaign.
• Juan Musso made his 50th appearance for Atalanta in Serie A.