L’Atalanta by Gian Piero Gasperini wins 2-0, with a bit of luck, on the pitch of Claudio Ranieri’s Roma. The match at the Olimpico was decided by de Roon’s goal with a decisive deflection by Celik that wrong-footed Svilar and the goal by the much booed former player Nicolò Zaniolo. The Nerazzurri have 31 points in the standings in second place, one less than Napoli. The Giallorossi are further and further down, in fifteenth place with just 13 points. Here are the Monday night report cards:
Roma’s report cards
Mile Svilar 6: Be careful with high and low outputs and readings. He doesn’t have to make any particular interventions to defend his goal and is blameless for the two goals conceded.
Gianluca Mancini 5.5 Of the three defense he seems the most vulnerable. He devoured the equalizer on an assist from Saelemaekers and deflected the 2-0 into the net following Zaniolo’s header.
Mats Hummels 6,5: Solid and safe. He leads the Giallorossi defense well and in the first half anticipates Lookman ready to tap home from Kossonou’s tense cross. Leader (from 73′ Stephan El Shaarawy 5.5: He comes in to shake up the attack but touches few balls)
Evan Ndicka 5.5: Physically he withstands the impact force of the best attack in Serie A for over an hour, together with his teammates.
Zeki Celik 5: On the right he pushes with little continuity and limits himself to his homework. Unlucky protagonist in the deflection, on de Roon’s shot, which gives Atalanta the victory. (At 72′ Aleix Saelemaekers 6: He comes in and immediately tries to wreak havoc with his speed and competitive enthusiasm)
Manu Kone 6.5: Physicality and mobility at the service of the team, he lacks a little precision in the last pass. In the first half he almost scored from 30 meters with a great shot from distance.
Leandro Paredes 5.5: Ranieri dusts him off and he repays the trust with a match full of grit, position and substance.
Bryan Cristante 6: Midfield balancer and man of great experience, he fights against giants in the role such as Ederson and de Roon. (from 82′ Matias Soulé sv)
José Angel Esmoris Tasende (Angelino) 5.5: He suffers a little from the Nerazzurri’s pressure and pushes little. To be reviewed
Paulo Dybala 6: He delivers high quality plays and demonstrates that he is in good physical condition. In the second half he sent Dovbyk through on goal with disarming ease. Improper weapon (from 82′ Nikola Zalewski sv)
Artem Dovbyk 5.5: He has physicality and desire but ends up overdoing it. In the second half he fainted in front of Carnesecchi after an assist to Dybala’s kiss which was “only” pushed towards goal. (from 62′ Eldor Shomorudov 5: Enters but is never seen)
Coach Claudio Ranieri 6: His Rome is alive but not too lucky either. He loses undeservedly given that his team would have more than deserved a draw.
Atalanta’s report cards
Marco Carnesecchi 6.5: Good at saying no to Paredes in the first half, he didn’t get upset twice face to face with Dovbyk. Rolling shutter.
Odilon Kossounou 6.5: The matches pass and the former Bayer Leverkusen player is carving out an important space for himself in Gasperini’s starting eleven. Good and attentive in defense, he also pushes forward with good results. (from 84′ Weight Djmsiti sv)
Isak Hien 7: In defense he is always solid, attentive and safe. In short, the best of his team in defence.
Sead Kolasinac 6.5: In the last years of his career he reinvented himself as a defensive arm and no longer a left winger and the results are absolutely positive. Rocky, gritty and always on point
Raoul Bellanova 6: He tries to slip past his opponents on the right flank but today he is contained
Marten De Roon 7: In midfield he is the mind and the beating heart. He scores the goal, with a decisive deflection, which brings the Dea to within one of Napoli.
Ederson 6.5: He runs for two and is often clear even in the proactive phase. Complete midfielder.
Matteo Ruggeri 6: Match without either infamy or praise for the Nerazzurri winger who leaves the pitch having done his “homework” (from 54′ Juan Cuadrado 6: He doesn’t show himself in any particular way but he remotely controls the assist for the 2-0 on Zaniolo’s head.)
Charles De Ketelaere 6: He tries in every way to make himself dangerous and in the first half Angelino disturbs him enough to prevent him from pinching the soft ball served to him by Lookman. (from 64′ Marco Brescianini 6: He gets involved in the 1-0 goal and all in all he makes his physicality felt in midfield.)
Mateo Retegui 5: The current top scorer in Serie A plays a silent role this evening. He comes out in a polemical and angry manner (from 54′ Lazar Samardzic 5,5: You hear and see little. Inconsistent match)
Ademola Lookman 5.5: He too doesn’t see much of her this evening, held back by Roma’s defense and by the wall erected by Sir Claudio Ranieri. (from 64′ Nicolò Zaniolo 6.5: The Olimpico reserves him only whistles from an unloved ex. On the pitch, he does nothing to make himself noticed until the 88th minute when he heads Cuadrado’s assist into the net with a nice twist. )
Coach Gian Piero Gasperini 7.5: His Atalanta is no longer in the news and is increasingly one of the many contenders for the scudetto.
Solid, compact, cynical and beautiful to look at. La Dea is today one of the great realities of Italian and European football.
Referee Marco Guida (Torre Annunziata) 6.5: He directs a difficult and delicate match well and flawlessly.
