Bergamo, 18 December 2024 – Overflowing is the best adjective to describe Atalanta takes it extremely seriously Also the Italian Cup commitment and stops Cesena’s run – which had eliminated Verona and Pisa – overwhelming him 6-1. Bologna will be the Nerazzurri’s quarter-final opponent, which today took less than half an hour to archive the case and weaken the weak resistance of a Cesena who appeared too passive and defeatist: shocking the one-two signed between the 4th and 8th minute by Zappacosta and De Ketelaeregreat protagonist of the match together with Samardzic, author of the 3-0 but above all a personal brace like de Ketelaere who sealed the 4-0 in the 35th minute. From Brescianini and Samardzic again, the icings placed in the second half on the Nerazzurri cake before the flag goal scored by Ceesay in the 90th minute.
First half
Gasperini does not take the Italian Cup appointment lightly at all and lines up his Atalanta with the three-man defense and the trident made up of Samardzic, Retegui and De Ketelaere. In short, the Nerazzurri are serious and you can tell after 4 minutes of play when Zappacosta unlocks the result: the Atalanta winger exchanges the ball with Djimsiti, enters the area, wins a rebound from an opponent and places the ball at the far post with Pisseri beaten. The weak resistance of the Romagna team crumbles immediately and Atalanta can loosen the reins and arrive with extreme ease, in the 8th minute, De Ketelaere doubled the lead who, at the height of a borderline triangulation with Retegui, unleashes a right-footed shot into the corner. The Belgian is literally unleashed and together with Samardzic is the fulcrum of the imagination of the Nerazzurri who dominate the game, coming one step away from the hat-trick with the left-footed return of the former Udinese player in the 24th minute. However, the joy of the 3-0 for the Serbian was only postponed for a few moments; Cesena is in fact still dazed and struggling terribly to raise their center of gravity and when they do so they lose their balance and pay yet another huge bill: from a Nerazzurri restart the exchange between Pasalic and Samardzic who mocks Pisseri with a shot deflected by an opposing defender. However, the Atalanta show is not over because, despite the result already on ice, the Orobic team continue to push and, after coming close to it with shots from a tight angle by Retegui and Zappacosta, they also find the poker, signed again by De Ketelaere with a conclusion that crossed the line after touching the post.
Second half
The second half begins without changes and with Atalanta always committed to attack. The first substitution, however, came in the 51st minute when Zaniolo took over Pasalic and just 2′ later the Nerazzurri five players served: following a free kick, the Orobic team executed a pattern to perfection that led Toloi to serve Brescianini, who – face to face with Pisseri – does not miss the appointment with the 5-0 goal. To try to find greater dynamism and limit the damage, Mignani, half an hour from the end, brings on Chiarello and Francesconi, but these moves are not enough to disrupt the plans of the home team in the slightest as they continue to control the game with a dense web of passes waiting for the right moment to strike. A moment that could arrive in the 60th minute when Zaniolo unleashes a violent shot from an excellent position, which is followed by an instinctive save from Pisseri. The Romagna goalkeeper, however, can do nothing with the right shot shot in the 70th minute in the middle of the area from Samardzic who sealed the 6-0 for the Nerazzurri and his personal brace. In the final, however, there was also glory for Cesena who, following the development of a restart at the stroke of 90′, scores the flag goal which makes the deficit less bitter with the newly introduced Ceesay who cools the young newly introduced goalkeeper Rossi. The scoreboard: Atalanta (3-4-3): Rui Patricio (from 78′ Rossi); Toloi, Hien (from 64′ Sulemana), Djimsiti (from 64′ Godfrey); Palestra, de Roon, Pasalic (from 51′ Zaniolo), Zappacosta; Samardzic, Retegui, De Ketelaere. All. Gasperini Cesena (3-4-2-1): Pisseri; Pieraccini, Ciofi (Curto from 74′), Piacentini; Adamo (from 82′ Hraiech), Bastoni (from 60′ Chiarello), Mendicino, Celia; Tavsan (Francesconi from 60′), Kargbo (Cesay from 75′); Van Hooijdonk. All. Mignani Markers: Zappacosta (Ata. 4′), De Ketelaere (Ata. 8′ and 35′), Samardzic (Ata. 27′ and 70′), Brescianini (Ata. 54′), Ceesay (Ces. 90′). Note – Warnings: Djimsiti, Toloi, Bastoni.
