Goals from two Academy products earned Atalanta a huge away victory over Sporting Clube de Portugal, as matchday 2 of the 2023-2024 UEFA Europa League saw the Nerazzurri win 2-1 at the Estadio José Alvalade in Lisbon to go top of Group D with 6 points.
The first half saw the Nerazzurri get off to a brilliant start, showing great personality since the opening minutes. While Lookman burst into the box and rolled the ball across for Koopmeiners, who failed to meet the pass, Kolašinac’s header finished just wide of the post. The deadlock was broken in the 33rd minute, after Koopmeiners and Zappacosta combined on the right, the Italian wingback pulled back through the legs of a defender for Scalvini, who simply had to tuck home. The advantage did not quench Atalanta’s pressure, as the Nerazzurri kept on offering plenty of threats. After Lookman failed to capitalize on his 37th-minute and 40th-minute chances, the Nigerian forward set up Ruggeri, who scored his first senior goal for Atalanta and thus doubled our lead in the 43rd minute.
Sporting tried to get back into the game in the second half. After a Gonçalo Inacio 53rd-minute header went just wide and Matheus Reis’ 73th-minute effort tested Musso, the hosts were awarded a penalty (after a VAR review) for a Scalvini handball on the follow-up. Gyökeres halved the deficit by converting the spot kick in the 76th minute and shortly before Musso pulled off an excellent save from Edwards’ close-range shot. After Catamo’s finish bounced off the post on 78 minutes, Scamacca almost made it 3-1 with a finish from the edge of the box that Adán fingertipped over the bar. By imposing themselves 2-1 at the Estadio José Alvalade, the Nerazzurri defeated Sporting in Portugal for the first time in the club’s history.
Come tomorrow, Friday 6 October, the squad will be back to work with a morning session, taking place behind closed doors at the Centro Bortolotti, to begin preparations for the league match away to Lazio.
SPORTING CP 1-2 ATALANTA
Scorers: Scalvini 32 (A), Ruggeri 43 (A), Gyokeres pen 76 (S).
Sporting CP: Adán, Diomande, Gonçalo Inacio, Matheus Reis (Daniel Bragança 91), Fresneda (Ricardo Esgaio 68), Hjulmand (Coates 46), Morita, Nuno Santos (Edwards 46), Paulinho (Catamo 46), Gyökeres, Pedro Gonçalves.
Unused subs: Israel, Diogo Pinto, Luis Neto, Dário Essugo, Eduardo Quaresma, Tiago Ferreira, Rodrigo Ribeiro.
Coach: Rúben Amorim.
Atalanta: Musso, Scalvini (Palomino 81), Djimsiti (Toloi 54), Kolašinac, Zappacosta (Holm 66), de Roon, Éderson (Pašalić 66), Ruggeri, Koopmeiners, De Ketelaere (Scamacca 54), Lookman.
Unused subs: Carnesecchi, Rossi, Muriel, Bakker, Adopo, Hateboer, Miranchuk.
Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini.
Referee: Alejandro Hernandez (ESP).
Assistant referees: José Naranjo (ESP) and Diego Sanchez Rojo (ESP).
4th Official: Alejandro Muniz Ruiz (ESP).
V.A.R.: Guillermo Cuadra (ESP).
A.V.A.R.: Cesar Soto Grado (ESP).
Notes: Djimsiti (A), Toloi (A), Pedro Gonçalves (S), Daniel Bragança (S) and Scamacca (A) booked.
