In the final international test ahead of the league resumption, AZ Alkmaar come out on top at the Gewiss Stadium thanks to an early goal. Atalanta created a lot of goalscoring chances (with a shot that bounced off the post and a missed penalty), but the Dutch side managed to keep a clean sheet.
The game turned out to be a tough one right away, with the visitors taking the lead within 30 seconds through Evjen, who intercepted a pass inside the Atalanta box and pushed the ball past Sportiello. Atalanta’s reaction was not long in coming and Højlund’s left-foot effort from the edge of the box in the 10th minute, after a lovely solo effort, bounced off the post with the goalkeeper beaten. Two minutes later, Éderson’s long-range finish was palmed out from the top corner by Verhulst with some difficulty. After another AZ break on the counter – with Sportiello denying Evjen 25 minutes into the match – Gasperini’s men went close to equalising at the half-hour mark, first with a rocket from Lookman (charged down by Verhulst) and then with a Palomino header following a corner (the effort was just wide). Just before half-time, three efforts by de Roon found no luck, until Koopmeiners turned wide from a good position.
In the opening minutes of the second half, AZ came close to doubling their lead on 53 minutes, first with a Reijnders finish that was over and then with an Evjen effort that was charged down by on-rushing Sportiello. The Nerazzurri had the chance to level up the match in the 79th minute, as Zapata won a penalty after he was brought down by the visiting goalkeeper but then his spot-kick was parried by Verhulst and then the Colombian forward wasn’t able to tap home the rebound. Mæhle had the final chance of the game, but his header was wide.
Atalanta’s build-up to the Serie A will go ahead tomorrow, Friday 30 December, with another friendly, this time at the Centro Bortolotti in Zingonia against Crema, a team competing in the Serie D (the kick-off of the match is at 15:00 CET; the game will be open to the public, with a limited capacity subject to the depletion of available places.
ATALANTA 0-1 AZ ALKMAAR
Scorers: Evjen 1 (AZ).
Atalanta: Sportiello, Toloi (Okoli 86), Palomino (Scalvini 56), Djimsiti, Zappacosta (Mæhle 46), de Roon (Boga 86), Éderson (Malinovskyi 67), Ruggeri (Soppy 56), T. Koopmeiners, Lookman (Muriel 67), Højlund (Zapata 67). Unused bench: Rossi, Bertini, Zortea. Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini.
AZ Alkmaar: Verhulst, Sugawara, Hatzidiakos, Beukema, M. de Wit (Kerkez 63), Clasie (Bazoer 63), Reijnders (P. Koopmeiners 89), Evjen (Dekker 75), Odgaard (D. de Wit 63), Pavlidis (Barasi 89), Karlsson (Lahdo 89). Unused bench: Owosu-Oduro, Deen, Kerkez, van Brederode, Dekker, Buurmeester. Coach: Pascal Jansen.
Referee: Andrea Colombo from Como (refereeing assistants Giorgio Peretti from Verona and Luigi Rossi di Rovigo, fourth official Matteo Gualtieri from Asti).
Notes: Verhulst (AZ) saved a Zapata (A) penalty in the 79th minute.
