Despite Gasperini’s men having a difficult start this evening, Atalanta managed to secure all three points in a 2-1 victory over Sassuolo at the Gewiss Stadium within match-week ten of the Serie A in order to gain first within the league-standings.
Within the opening minutes of the fixture, it was Atalanta who dictated match as they pressed high-up the pitch, making it very difficult for Sassulo to build out of the back.
It didn’t take long for Gasperini’s side to break through the Nerroverdi back-line as Ademola Lookman set Teun Koopmeiners up within the first seven minutes following a sublime one-two in between the lines. The dutch midfielder was all alone within the box and fired on goal, but his curling attempt was well saved by Andrea Consigli.
Despite Atalanta finding success along the flanks, La Dea were incapable of finding the back of the net as they well-delivered crosses were coped well by Dionisi’s back-line, as well as the shot-stopper who was the main protagonist within the first 45.
While it seemed certain that Atalanta would open the goal-scoring account first, Davide Frattesi slipped a well-weighted pass out-wide to find Luca D’Andrea out-wide. The young prospect delivered a marvellous cross to find Georgios Kyriakopoulos across the second post, who struck a thunderous volley into the top-corner past Marco Sportiello to provide his side with a 1-0 lead within the 41st minute.
Although La Dea conceded an unexpected goal while having all the momentum throughout the fixture, Gasperini’s men remained unfazed as they maintained the intensity that they brought onto the pitch since the start.
Within the closing minutes of the first half, Joakim Maehele’s deadly low-driven cross was diffused in fine fashion by Consigli. However, Brandon Soppy managed to get hold of the rebound and slithered a square pass to Mario Pasalic, allowing the Croatian midfielder to seal the equalizer from point-blank range.
Just as the second half began, Gasperini’s side sustained their high pressure that worked heavily within their favour throughout the first half. As a result, it seemed very effective as Koopmeiners managed to intercept a poorly played long-ball by Gianmarco Ferrari and ditched the ball along the flank to Soppy.
The Frenchman dispatched an exquisite pass in-between the lines of defence to find Lookman on the break. The attacking midfielder performed a ferocious turn to weave around Consigli and let fly into the back of the net with a astounding curler in order for his side to complete the comeback within their home-stomping ground.
While all seemed lost for the Nerroverdi, Dionisi’s men pushed for an equalizer as the gaffer introduced the skipper Domenico Berardi onto the pitch for his long-awaited return following his injury in-exchange for D’Andrea in order to shift the tide within the fixture.
The 28 year-old made his mark within the match as he cut towards the inside after being picked out by Frattesi and fired a curling shot from a long-way out towards goal, but his shot went off the bar and bounced on the line after rebounding from the frame of the goal.
Unfortunately, the Italian international’s return to the pitch was short-lived as he was forced off the field due to injury yet again within the 79th minute for Augustin Martinez.
In the end, it was Atlanta who prevailed following a convincing defensive display within the final 15 minutes of the fixture in order to close the game and secure three significant points.
As it stands, Atalanta have leaped to the top of the league with a total of 24 points, only one point away from Napoli who have a game in-hand. Meanwhile, Sassuolo find themselves in ninth place as they possess 12 points after only obtaining six points out 15 within their last five outings.