Inter-Atalanta 2-0, the match seen by Serina: Gasperini’s mistakes, it’s like not having played the “plastic cup”

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Pietro Serina

It ends 2-0 for the stronger team, but Gasperini gave up playing with bad choices that he didn’t regret. But this remains a “plastic” Super Cup: the stands are empty

You lost without playing Inter secured the final of the Italian Super Cup after a match in complete control: 2-0 and easy management of a match that Atalanta chose “not” to play. Gasperini changed six starters, having done so only against Cesena since the beginning of the season. But Inter with the best is not Cesena with the reserves and you can’t compare a Super Cup semi-final to the Italian Cup round of 16. Many big names on the bench: Ederson, De Ketelaere, Lookman., Bellanova (among the best from Lazio), Pasalic, Djimsiti. The Inter of the stars administered. The match had no history, it was decided by a brace from Dumfries (come on…) at the start of the second half. The first goal came from a corner that wasn’t there, but honesty requires us not to make any recriminations: it would make us laugh.

Yes, it’s a Super Cup made of plastic and money The match, seen on TV, confirms that the Super Cup organized in this way is a “plastic cup” (and money). In the Riyadh stadium, there are many more empty seats than those occupied by fans: the stands are made of yellow plastic, almost always well hidden from the cameras, but the plastic remains. But let’s not blame the League: if the clubs gave up the 16 million up for grabs, the League would organize the tournament in Italy, of course…

The real question: why preventive surrender? Talking about tactics, or about rhythms that are too slow to be true (and to allow Atalanta to be competitive), or about the objective impossibility of being dangerous in attack if you play with a formation like this is superfluous. In reality, the starting point is another question: why did you choose not to play the match? There isn’t a real answer because Gasperini chose not to give it. The hypotheses remain. Did he want to rest those who always play? He could have left them in Bergamo. Was it a strategy like I’ll last an hour and then hit the strongest? Facts have transformed it into presumption.

Fear: is it a market strategy? But the great suspicion is at the end: did Gasp want to demonstrate to the club that it needs reinforcements in attack? In reality, changing too much has made serious judgments impossible. Up front he played without CDK, Lookman, Retegui and Scamacca. Of course you’re in trouble. And you put whoever you send onto the field in difficulty. If you take away Lautaro, Thuram, Arnautovic and Taremi from Inter, goodnight. If you take away Lukaku, Kvara, Neres and Politano from Napoli, help. If Juve is missing Vlahovic, Gonzalez, Conceicao and Milik, it’s the cat’s fault. Let’s face it: Gasp was wrong. Point.

Inter-Atalanta 2-0
Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) – Thursday 2 January 2025, 8 pm – Italian Super Cup semifinal

Rarely: 4’ e 16’ st Dumfries.

INTER (3-5-2): Sommer 7; Bisseck 7the Free 6,5Sticks 6 (23′ st Charles Augustus 6); Dumfries 8Stretcher 6 (36′ st Frattesi sv), Calhanoglu 6,5 (23’ st Asslani 6), Mkhitaryan 6,5Dimarco 6 (31’ st Darmian sv); Lautaro 5, Thuram 6 (1’ st Taremi 5,5). (media: 6,285). Coach Simone Inzaghi 7.

ATALANTA (3-4-1-2): Meatballs 8; Kossounou 6 (23′ st Gym 6,5), He 5Kolasinac 6; Zappacosta 5,5de Roon 6Scalvini 6 (17’ st Djimsiti 6), Ruggeri 5,5 (12’ st Ederson 6,5); Samardzic 5,5 (12′ st De Ketelaere 5,5); Brescianini 6Zaniolo 5,5 (12’ st Lookman 6). (media: 5,968). All. Gasperini 4 e 4.