Newly-promoted Frosinone got into the win column against the odds, defeating European hopefuls Atalanta 2-1 at the Stadio Benito Stirpe. La Dea came into this contest as pre-match favorites after going unbeaten in all six previous matches against the Canaries without conceding.
Like their opening-day clash against Napoli, Frosinone entered the game on the foot. Ademola Lookman lost the ball near the halfway line to open a quick counter for Eusebio Di Francseco’s side. In the blink of an eye, Abdou Harroui found himself one-on-one with Juan Musso. There was no salvation for Atalanta.
Harroui picked out the far bottom corner with surgical precision to break the deadlock, as he did against Napoli. But Frosinone learned their lesson. After letting the reigning Serie A champions turn the match on its head and claim a 3-1 win, the Canaries slam the door shut for Atalanta with a second goal.
The 21-year-old center-back Ilario Monterisi could be the last name to spring to mind when thinking of potential goalscorers. However, the youngster took advantage of Atalanta’s poor defensive reaction after the resulting corner kick to poke the ball into the net midway through the first half.
Gian Piero Gasperini reached out to his bench at halftime, bringing in day-one heroes Charles De Ketelaere and Nadrid Zortea. But the old gun provided a breakthrough. Duvan Zapata picked the ball on the edge of Frosinone’s penalty area and unleashed an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner in the 56th minute to give Atalanta a lifeline.
De Ketelaere had a valiant attempt to restore parity in the 75th minute. But new Frosinone goalkeeper Michele Cerofolini pulled off a stunning save to thwart his shot from close range. Second-half substitute Gianluca Scamacca couldn’t direct his header on the rebound on goal as a glorious chance went begging.
Atalanta continued to dominate possession in search of a much-needed equalizer, but Di Francesco’s defense stood their ground. As a result, Frosinone celebrated their first Serie A win since April 2019. On the other hand, La Dea won’t have to wait long for an opportunity to redeem themselves.
They will take on Monza in Bergamo next Saturday.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |