On matchday 5 of the 2021-2022 Serie A TIM, the Nerazzurri win 2-1 over Sassuolo at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo thanks to the goals from two wing-backs, Gosens and Zappacosta.
It was a very strong start from the Nerazzurri. In fact, it only took them three minutes to break the deadlock, as Malinovskyi’s great low cross from the right found Gosens to fire in. Defrel was clear on goal in the 12th minute but he blasted over. The Nerazzurri’s pressure did not drop, as Malinovskyi skimmed the bar on 24 minutes, Pessina fired inches wide in the 32nd minute and Zapata nodded off target one minute later. Atalanta doubled their lead in the 37th minute at the end of a wonderful team move, refined by Zapata for Zappacosta’s winning angled drive. Just before half-time, Berardi pulled one back thanks to a left-foot shot into the near bottom corner.
In the second half, Defrel created some danger with a header from an inviting spot, but then Iličić forced a great save from Consigli with a left-foot curler and Piccoli immediately tested the former Nerazzurri goalkeeper as soon as he got off the bench. It ended 2-1 at the Gewiss Stadium.
ATALANTA 2-1 SASSUOLO
Scorers: Gosens 3 (A), Zappacosta 37 (A), Berardi 44 (S)
Atalanta: Musso, Toloi, Demiral, Djimsiti, Zappacosta (Mæhle 70), de Roon, Koopmeiners, Gosens (Pezzella 70), Pessina (Pašalić 84), Malinovskyi (Iličić 63), Zapata (Piccoli 84). Subs not used: Rossi, Sportiello, Palomino, Freuler, Scalvini, Miranchuk, Lovato. Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini.
Sassuolo: Consigli, Muldur, Ayhan, Ferrari, Kyriakopoulos, Magnanelli (Harroui 60), Frattesi (Lopez 82), Berardi, Traore (Djuricic 67), Boga (Raspadori 60), Defrel. Subs not used: Pegolo, Goldaniga, Rogerio, Peluso, Chiriches, Toljan, Scamacca, Henrique. Coach: Alessio Dionisi.
Referee: Davide Massa from Imperia.
Assistants: Filippo Valeriani from Ravenna and Giuseppe Perrotti from Campobasso.
Fourth official: Livio Marinelli from Tivoli.
V.A.R.: Piero Giacomelli from Trieste.
A.V.A.R.: Filippo Meli from Parma.
Notes: 7.353 spectators, Malinovskyi (A), Pezzella (A), Ferrari (S), Lopez (S) booked.
