From our correspondent Giorgio Dusi
November 6, 2024 (changed November 7, 2024 | 00:04) – STUTTGART
If it’s not an automatic pass to the knockout round, we’re close. Atalanta conquers Stuttgart, enjoys a great Lookman, a very inspired De Ketelaere and celebrates Nicolò Zaniolo’s first joy in the Nerazzurri: an almost perfect evening, especially for the 0-2 final with which the Dea wins the MHP-Arena, with the yet another great European performance from a team that now has a majestic dimension on the most prestigious international stage. And one goal still clean. All exactly five years after the first point won in the Champions League.
MATEO IS BACK
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From the first minute Gasperini restores Retegui after the Napoli bench and puts out De Ketelaere, keeping Pasalic in the attacking midfield. It is only one of the two changes, together with the alternation between Bellanova and Ruggeri on the lanes with Zappacosta moving to the left. In Stuttgart the eleven is the one announced, with the only surprise being Chase who plays in place of Chabot, fresh from recovery but not at his best.
PYRO
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The fireworks and smoke bombs from the Cannstatt Kurve – they will be a constant throughout the match, like the vain calls of the speaker – accompany Obrenovic’s starting whistle: a fireworks display outside the pitch and also inside, with two occasions within ninety seconds, one on each side with Führich and Retegui. And they are certainly not the only ones in a first half in which the two teams faced each other very openly. Another exchange at the turn of the 10th minute, when Pasalic with his foot and Rouault with his head missed the target by centimetres. Kolasinac had to withdraw after 13 minutes due to a strain on his right thigh flexor: Kossounou came on in his place. The Ivorian’s approach is very positive and doesn’t make you regret the Bosnian at all – even if Millot’s verticalisations and the desire of the former great El Bilal Touré to make an impact create more than a few apprehensions for the defence. The best chance of the first half was taken away by Mittelstädt from Pasalic’s feet on the half hour mark with a providential intervention a few meters from the goal, while for the hosts Undav kicked wide with his right foot from close range, wasting the chance of a potential lead close to the recovery. The only shot on target, however, was a header by Retegui practically on the double whistle of the Serbian Obrenovic: Nübel blocked it with a safe catch.
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turning point
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After the interval, Gasperini’s move to shake things up is the insertion of De Ketelaere in place of Pasalic, with the transition to the trident in line: a move that immediately pays huge dividends, given that the Belgian panics on the right after a ball recovered high by Kossounou and on his assist in the center there is Lookman ready for the tap-in. Stuttgart had the equalizer five minutes later with Demirovic (who had just replaced the injured Undav, who was disappointing), but Djimsiti was there to save from the Bosnian’s tap-in and keep the lead up, which was narrowly missed by the other side it doesn’t increase with the header of a wild CDK. The young player born in 2006, Malanga, making his first team debut, gives shivers ten minutes from time, giving the optical illusion of a goal, while Zaniolo’s goal is anything but an illusion: his first European center sends headlines tail. With a victory against Young Boys in three weeks’ time, the Dea can also move closer to the top eight positions, which are already very close with these very important three points. There will be no Ederson in Switzerland, who has been booked and therefore disqualified. On the other hand, he will have the security of being there with Real Madrid.
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