by Xavier Jacobelli
Unstoppable. There is no more appropriate adjective to define Atalanta’s state of grace, in a May never experienced before at these levels, giving shows of absolute beauty. Neo-finalist of the Europa League, finalist of the Italian Cup on Wednesday, the Dea also won the play-off with Roma for the Champions League, towards which they sent Juve, despite the terrible home draw of the Bianconeri with Salernitana.
Bologna’s qualification is also arithmetic but they earned it thanks to an extraordinary season, diametrically opposed to Juve who hadn’t done so badly in the second round for thirteen years now.
Like a hurricane, the team of Gasperini attacked Roma already in the first half, attacking them from the first minute, thanks to the impressive psychophysical condition they enjoy, despite the fact that they were in their fourth match in ten days and are awaiting the fifth in three days, the Italian Cup final with the Juventus. Which didn’t stop Gasperini from fielding the same lineup that had overwhelmed Marseille on Thursday, initially changing very little.
Formula Three (Koopmeiners–Scamacca–De Ketelaere) praised the twenty-three-year-old Belgian (13 goals and 9 assists so far), who is decidedly possessed. Two goals in one hundred and twenty seconds, a post, high-school veronicas and touches, the constant presence in every offensive maneuver of the Goddess, whose game was the sublimation of Gasperin’s football. Roma, visibly short of energy, tried to resist Atalanta’s fury as best they could.
The interval proved to be a saving grace for De Rossi’s team, who had seen another post save Svilar from Koopmeiners’ free kick; Hateboer And Pasalic coming close to scoring the third goal before the gong. Until the twentieth of the second half, the script did not change: Lookman, de Roon and Pasalic wasted three scoring chances in a row, the Nerazzurri’s dominance seemed total until Guida awarded the penalty, euphemistically definable as very generous, awarded to Abraham after the tackle with de Roon.
The decision sparked the ire of Gasperini, who was immediately warned; Pellegrini converted the penalty and, at that point, Roma seemed to wake up, but it was too late. De Rossi’s courage led the coach to close the match with three strikers, placing Azmoun alongside Lukaku and Abraham, so much so that the great response from Carnesecchi Pellegrini’s conclusion was the Giallorossi’s leap of pride, but at the end, Koopmeiners sent the 3-1 into the corner.
The Roma players were scolded by their coach: «My team should have reacted sooner», Daniele complained. He said it right and he did well to warn his team that sixth place must now be defended tooth and nail. Yet, at this moment, the feeling is that few teams are able to oppose Gasperini’s goal machine. The final with Bayer, unbeaten in 49 games, becomes increasingly intriguing. First, however, there is the other match against Juve, for the Italian Cup. We said it: this is the May of the Goddess.
