Pasalic takes a shot, De Ketelaere rings the bell with a penalty for a hand from Marusic in the melee and the bells ring to celebrate the 3-0. Immobile’s penalty was useless for the 3-1 with the result now achieved. Atalanta slowly cooks Lazio, leaving them -5 from their fourth place, which emerges strengthened by a direct clash dominated far and wide, for the sixth consecutive victory at home.
For Sarri’s team, which also remains below Bologna in the standings and appeared to be under-paced and slow-moving, it is the first defeat of the second round after five consecutive useful results. At the start on the Luis Alberto-Felipe Anderson axis which forces Carnesecchi out after 30 seconds, the home team responds immediately with Pasalic.
The Croatian lined up behind the attack, however, first was blocked in a corner by Romagnoli and then turned weakly from the center of the area in the 5th minute, missing the moment following suggestions from Ederson vertically and De Ketelaere from the left.
The Romans are too barricaded and the 1-0 comes with the defense lined up: Provedel blocks Kolasinac’s header with his feet from Miranchuk’s crossed free kick, but shortly after, after the quarter of an hour, Pasalic is quick to turn in the goal. De Ketelaere’s action from the left is finished in the corner by Scalvini.
In the 27th minute Luis Alberto lifts the free kick won by Guendouzi, followed like a shadow by De Roon, but Sarri’s team is discontinuous, ensnared by the density in midfield of the Bergamo players, who force the winner to return to cover. Towards the second goal, De Ketelaere’s header which sends Scalvini’s cross high.
On Miranchuk’s fifth corner, from the right, Marusic widens his arm on Scalvini’s attempted tackle with his back to the goal and Guida points to the spot: De Ketelaere displaces Provedel, then Holm, before returning to the changing rooms, comes close to making it 3-0 by touching the top of the net crossbar rising very high on the Russian attacker’s set piece.
The second half begins and Holm becomes the protagonist. On the negative side, kicking weakly into Provedel’s arms instead of serving the very unmarked Pasalic; on the positive side, opposing Felipe Anderson’s conclusion from the area along the combination with Isaksen, who had been subpar up until then, and Castellanos. Seven minutes have passed and the Nerazzurri slow down again, accelerating only after the quarter of an hour, when the three offensive players combine again: this time it is Pasalic who serves Miranchuk in tow, who strikes with first intention without imparting power, facilitating Provedel.
Sarri, after replacing Lazzari with Pellegrini and Gila with Casale at half-time, changes two thirds of the attack towards the twentieth: Pedro for Isaksen and Immobile for Castellanos. A little later, changes were exhausted with Vecino for Luis Alberto.
But Atalanta always flies: Scamacca, on for Miranchuk, raises his sights in the 25th minute following a short touch from a free kick by De Ketelaere. The Belgian then targets Pellegrini starting from the right sideline to put past Provedel: 3-0. There is time for Djimsiti’s distraction, who touches Immobile’s foot and the ball: the center forward sends Carnesecchi the other way and in the 90th minute he heads Pedro’s returning ball wide. In the final debut in Serie A for 2006, Leonardo Mendicino, of the Under 23 team, already present last December 14th in Sosnowiec against Rakow Czestochowa in the Europa League. Yellow will cause Rovella and Ederson to skip the next round.