A brace and a post from the Belgian in the first half, then Pellegrini’s penalty reignited the match but it wasn’t enough for the Giallorossi
L’Atalanta beat 2-1 Rome in a direct clash for qualification for the next Champions League. Gasperini’s team capitalized on the situation with an hour of technical-tactical dominance double from De Ketelaere in two minutes between the 18th and 20th minute of the first half, wasting the knockout blow on several occasions and also hitting two poles. Roma, however, reopened the match at the first opportunity with a Pellegrini’s penalty, coming close to equalizing in the final. Bologna and Juventus, remotely, can celebrate their qualification for the top European competition.
THE MATCH
For an hour there was no story and if the final 2-1 still gives three golden points to Gasperini’s Atalanta in the race for a place in the next Champions League, the score remains a lie for the Nerazzurri who for an hour game time they drew football far and wide, wasting the unbelievable against Roma. De Ketelaere’s brace gives the Dea renewed hopes regardless of the outcome of the Europa League final, but Bologna and Juventus – mathematically qualified for the Champions League – are also celebrating the result at the Gewiss Stadium. De Rossi’s Roma, awakened only by Pellegrini’s penalty in the final part of the match, a complicated situation to untangle in the last two days while waiting for good news on multiple fronts.
Rankings aside, the distance on the pitch between the two teams returning from their Europa League semi-final match seemed abysmal. The psychological condition was probably the opposite, but for an hour Atalanta had numerous scoring opportunities, also taking advantage of De Rossi’s choice to line up with a three-man defense, accepting, and losing, one-on-ones with the Nerazzurri’s attacking players. Everyone was inspired, from Scamacca as pivot to Koopmeiners as finisher, up to De Ketelaere who scored two goals in the space of two minutes, also hitting the post a little later, just like Koopmeiners.
At the beginning of the second half, even with the insertions of Abraham and Bove to change something tactically on Roma’s part, Atalanta came close to making it a repeat: first Scamacca, replaced after an hour together with De Ketelaere also in view of the Cup final Italy, then Lookman and De Roon missed the target by a matter of centimeters, with the Goddess close to apotheosis in the 63rd minute when an all-out action made of high pressure and dribbling up to the Giallorossi area led to a shot Pasalic rejected by Svilar. Having missed the trio, however, Roma were able to find the right action in their first offensive outing with a backheel from Lukaku freeing Abraham which led to Hateboer’s penalty. Pellegrini’s goal changed the face of the match, but if Lukaku and Pellegrini were unable to complete the comeback, Atalanta wasted the early knockout blow on several occasions in the final.
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REPORT CARDS
De Ketelaere 8 – Atalanta’s redemption is a done deal, he decides to celebrate with an absolute king’s first half in a direct clash for the next Champions League. In two minutes he scores two goals, then hits a post and with his movements he intoxicates both Mancini and Ndicka.
Koopmeiners 7 – CDK needs an assist for the kiss, he hits the post directly from a free kick and exchanges in the midfield which is a marvel both with the Belgian and with Scamacca. He also has eyes in the back of his head, but we don’t discover it against Roma.
Scamacca 7.5 – Toe, heel, head, chest, right, left. It’s not a Don Lurio tune, but it could – let’s hope – be the song of the blue summer. Sumptuous match from a true pivot, called to sort balls in every way, transforming them into opportunities created first for others and then for himself.
Left-handed 4.5 – Unlucky in Leverkusen, dazed in Bergamo. In the defensive one-on-one set up with De Rossi he was sent to the bar by De Ketelaere in the action that broke the deadlock. Even when he moves on Scamacca he struggles enormously and never takes it.
Lukaku 5.5 – His teammates help him little, especially in the first half. With a few bloody balls lost in a naive manner he opens spaces and opportunities for Atalanta, then he lights up in a moment and with a flick of the heel creates the conditions for the penalty awarded to Abraham.
Ndicka 4.5 – Evening to forget. In complete confusion and constantly delaying anyone passing through her area. De Ketelaere only saw him 10 seconds into the second half when he mercilessly knocked him down and received a yellow card.
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THE SCORESHEET
ATALANTA-ROME 2-1
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi 6.5; De Roon 6, Hien 7, Djimsiti 6.5; Hateboer 6, Ederson 6.5 (43′ st Miranchuk sv), Pasalic 6.5 (30′ st Scalvini 6), Ruggeri 6 (12′ st Zappacosta 6); Koopmeiners 7; De Ketelaere 8 (12′ st Lookman 6.5), Scamacca 7.5 (12′ st Touré 6.5). Available: Musso, Rossi, Toloi, Bakker, Bonfanti, Palestra, Adopo, Comi. All.: Gasperini 8.
Rome (4-3-3): Svilar 6; Kristensen 5 (41′ st Joao Costa sv), Mancini 4.5, Ndicka 4.5, Angelino 5; Cristante 5 (41′ st Azmoun sv), Paredes 5 (1′ st Bove 6), Pellegrini 6.5; Baldanzi 5 (1′ st Abraham 6), Lukaku 5.5, El Shaarawy 6. Available: Rui Patricio, Boer, Karsdorp, Huijsen, Smalling, Llorente, Celik, Aouar, Zalewski, Pisilli. Coach: De Rossi 5.
Referee: Guide
Markers: 18′ De Ketelaere (A), 20′ De Ketelaere (A), 21′ st pen. Pellegrini (R)
Warned: Koopmeiners (A); Ndicka (R)
Expelled: Nobody
OPTA STATISTICS
Atalanta boasts three players who have been involved in at least 22 goals this season in the big-5 European leagues across all competitions: Charles De Ketelaere (13 goals + 9 assists), Gianluca Scamacca (17G + 5A) and Teun Koopmeiners (15G + 7A) – only Manchester City and Bayer Leverkusen (both 4) have more.
· Charles De Ketelaere’s second brace in Serie A, the first came against Lazio on 4 February. 148 seconds passed between De Ketelaere’s first and second goals in this match.
· Among the 11 Serie A players who have been involved in more than 20 goals (goals and assists) this season across all competitions, Charles De Ketelaere is the youngest (born in 2001: 13 goals and 9 winning passes).
· Atalanta have gained 38 points in 17 matches at the Gewiss Stadium in this championship (12W, 2D, 3L), always considering the three points for a victory, only in 1947/48 (39) did they do better after as many home games in one Serie A season.
· Only Inter (43) have scored more goals than Atalanta (37, equal to Roma) in home games this Serie A season.
· Roma is the opponent against whom Atalanta has scored the most goals in its history in Serie A: 145 goals for the Dea in 124 matches.
· Lorenzo Pellegrini has scored seven of the nine penalties kicked in Serie A; his previous goal from the spot in the league dates back to 4 January 2023 against Bologna.
· Lorenzo Pellegrini (10 goals in 2023/24) reached double figures in goals for the third time in a single season for Roma in all competitions, after 2021/22 (14) and 2020/21 (11) .
· Lorenzo Pellegrini has scored eight goals in this championship, only in 2021/22 (nine) has he scored more goals in a single Serie A season.
· Only Inter (13) have scored more goals from penalties than Roma (11) this Serie A season. In the last 20 Serie A seasons (since 2004/05), only twice have the Giallorossi scored more goals than 11 metres: 12 in both 2019/20 and 2016/17.
· Teun Koopmeiners has provided five assists this season, a record for him in a single Serie A season.
· 200th appearance for Bryan Cristante with the Roma shirt in Serie A.
