Fiorentina registered a crucial win over Atalanta in Florence to keep their chances of European football alive. The hosts had some very good chances to find the net and it was Polish striker Krysztof Piatek who sealed victory for them through his goal in the second half. Atalanta were far from clinical upfront but they had some chances with Ruslan Malinovskyi finding the back of the net but his goal was ruled out for offside. La Dea tried hard to score but Fiorentina’s backline was well organized and prevented them from doing so. Vincenzo Italiano will no doubt be pleased with his team’s performance but the same cannot be said for Gian Piero Gasperini. Atalanta have now gone five Serie A matches in a row without a win and will need to get back to winning ways if they are to find a place in the top four this season.
Starting XIs: Atalanta Make Five Changes, Fiorentina Three
Fiorentina made three changes from their win in Sassuolo with Bartlomiej Dragowski starting in goal ahead of Pietro Terracciano. This was the Pole’s first Serie A start since October. In midfield, Lucas Torreira and Giacomo Bonaventura started in place of Sofyan Amrabat and Youssef Maleh. Atalanta made five changes from their Europa League victory over Olympiacos with Hans Hateboer and Davide Zappacosta starting as the wingbacks in place of Joakim Maehle and Giuseppe Pezzella. Remo Freuler was back in the lineup, replacing Matteo Pessina while Teun Koopmeiners came in for Mario Pasalic. Jeremie Boga started up front at the expense of the injured Luis Muriel
Musso Denies Fiorentina Twice in the First Half
Both teams had some good scoring opportunities during the first half. Fiorentina had the first opportunity to open the scoring when Riccardo Sottil passed to Nico Gonzalez but Juan Musso was there to save his header. Atalanta’s most notable chance of finding the back of the net was when Malinovskyi played in a good ball to Koopmeiners. However, the Dutchman was denied by Dragowski. Fiorentina were forced to make a early change with Amrabat coming on for Torreira who sustained an injury. La Viola’s best scoring opportunity in the first half came in the 40th minute when Sottil took a shot from distance but Musso made a fine save to deny him.
Piatek Seals Victory for Fiorentina
Fiorentina had a very good chance of opening the scoring early in the second half when Gonzalez made a fine run and passed the ball to Gaetano Castrovilli. However, the Italian’s shot went over the bar. Just a few minutes later, La Viola opened the scoring thanks to Piatek who only had to find the target from close range after Gonzalez set him up. A few minutes later, Malinovskyi looked to have equalized for Atalanta but referee Doveri ruled his goal out for offside. A VAR check showed that Hateboer was in a offside position. Gasperini was enraged by this decision and did not shy away from showing his frustration. This eventually saw the Atalanta boss being sent off. La Dea tried hard to find the net but the Fiorentina backline was rigid and made it difficult for the attackers to pose a threat. The hosts were also looking to double their lead but were unable to do so. Fiorentina eventually managed to hold on to their lead and win the match.
What’s Next for Fiorentina and Atalanta
Fiorentina next face Sassuolo in the latter’s backyard on Sunday. Atalanta travel to Greece for the second leg of their Europa League clash against Olympiacos.
MATCH SCORECARD
February 20, 2022 – Serie A 2021-2022 Round 26
FIORENTINA – ATALANTA 1-0
SCORERS: 56′ Piatek
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FIORENTINA (4-3-3): Dragowski; Odriozola, Milenkovic (67′ Quarta), Igor, Biraghi (75′ Terzic); Bonaventura (76′ Maleh), Torreira (38′ Amrabat) Castrovilli (67′ Duncan); Gonzalez, Piatek, Sottil (Venuti, Rosati, Callejon, Saponara, Cabral, Ikone, Nastasic) Coach: Italiano |
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ATALANTA (3-4-1-2): Musso; Toloi (76’ Scalvini), Demiral, Djimsiti (57′ Pessina), Zappacosta (57’ Pezzella), De Roon, Koopmeiners, Freuler (57’ Pasalic), Hateboer; Malinovskyi, Boga (82’ Mihaila) (Rossi, Sportiello, Maehle, De Ripoti) Coach: Gasperini |
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Djimsit (A), Milenkovic (F), Malinovskyi (A), Demiral (A), Amrabat (F), Toloi (A); Added Time: 1st Half 2′, 2nd Half 5′