Final result: Atalanta-Monza 2-0
ATALANTA (edited by Patrick Iannarelli)
Carnesecchi 7 – The awkward clearance on Bianco is the only save of the first half, he also overcomes Pedro Pereira to avoid giving the red and whites the lead. For everything, even Halloween ghosts.
Djimsiti 6.5 – Vignato moves a lot, follows him closely but sometimes struggles. It’s a complicated evening, but he manages it with experience.
Hien 7 – The duel with Djuric is rougher than the one with Maric. An equal fight, between door knocks and pushes, sometimes at the limits of regularity. But it comes out a match within the match, the old fashioned way.
Kolasinac 6.5 – He doesn’t give up on Dany Mota, even following him into the locker room. He drops as the minutes go by, then recovers and starts to go into the penalty area too, becoming an added attacker.
Bellanova 5 – He sacrifices a lot, he tries to put his usual malice into it. But it is limited and fails to express its full potential. From the 57th minute Cuadrado 6 – He comes in to give the team greater depth, when spaces open up it makes the difference. But in the opportunity he had he had to score.
De Roon 6.5 – It’s a race he likes, to be placed in the trenches, to repel any assault. And it manages to do its job perfectly.
Ederson 6 – It’s not his best evening in an Atalanta shirt, but as soon as the match breaks the deadlock he plays with greater serenity.
Ruggeri 5.5 – He tries too hard and even makes a few mistakes, it’s a game stained more by other people’s mistakes and dirty things. And it doesn’t matter. From 57′ Zappacosta 7 – As soon as he enters he changes the match, then he invents a three-point shot into the corner pocket.
De Ketelaere 6.5 – He misses two balls, then begins to filter passes against a closed double defense. When it turns on it manages to raise the bar. From the 66th minute Zaniolo 6.5 – Enter with the right attitude and it shows. He embroiders, but he does it with quality.
Retegui 6 – It’s not the usual evening where he’s a killer in the box, he gets few balls. He understands it, he makes himself available to the team: his goal is to make it 1-0.
Lookman 5.5 – Sui only lights up in the 37th minute, but fails to make the breakthrough. And Gasperini only gives him one time. From 45′ Samardzic 7.5 – In a dirty match he manages to have his say: he lights up in an amen, then invents the goal that unlocks the match. From there no one can stop him anymore.
Gian Piero Gasperini 7 – The fourth consecutive victory is also his. He takes away Lookman and puts on Samardzic, the game changes there: he reads the changes well, manages everything perfectly. Naples will be another really interesting challenge.
MONZA (edited by Filippo D’Angelo)
Turati 6 – He can do very little about Samardzic’s seal as well as about Zappacosta’s pearl, despite having christened it perhaps too lightly.
D’Ambrosio 6.5 – Monza’s defense held up well until the seventieth minute also thanks to him, the author of a performance of character before Atalanta’s exploit. From 86′ Forson sv.
Pablo Mari 7 – A monumental match for the defender, who contained Retegui very well and also prevailed in the other duels. In the second half he saves a goal practically scored by Samardzic on the line.
Caldirola 6 – The duel with Retegui is really intense and in some cases even turns in his favor. In the second half, however, the center forward took more of the field and got him a yellow card.
Pedro Pereira 5.5 – In the second half he created Monza’s best chance, finding a super response from Carnesecchi. After a proactive start, however, it fades away, also thanks to Gasperini’s well-chosen changes.
Pessina 6 – Atalanta certainly dribbles more than Monza, who defended well also thanks to the work of their captain. An excellent figure in front of his former team. From 73′ Valoti 5.5 – Not a positive entry, also receives a yellow.
White 6 – Important performance from the red and white number forty-two, who imposed himself well despite Atalanta’s dominance both in the game and in the opportunities created.
Kyriakopoulos 6 – Proactive and dangerous even in the offensive area, he also offers a good job of covering which however did not help Monza to avoid the knockout.
Dany Mota 5.5 – The Atalanta defenders are challenging but not too much, as they kept the accelerations at bay despite a few too many concessions. From 72′ Maldini 5.5 – He has little time to make an impact and facing the Atalanta defense is not easy.
Vineyard 6.5 – A high-level match for the Monza midfielder, who had given the red and whites the lead
with a cross shot that ended up in the net and then canceled due to a foul by Djuric. A talent at the service of Nesta, who performed very well in the Dea’s house. From 72′ Caprari 5.5 – It runs in circles on the attacking front, thanks to a fierce and always attentive Atalanta.
Maric 6 – Nesta gives him confidence by launching him as a starter, he responds well, working hard especially when not in possession. The duel with Hien, however, is not so simple and we see little in front of goal. Djuric from the 46th minute 5.5 – He offers an immature performance and lacks interesting ideas, given that he always impacts on the good defensive organization of the Goddess.
Alessandro Nesta 6 – He can be satisfied with the attitude shown by his Monza, who withstood Atalanta’s attack until midway through the second half. A good sign in view of Milan.