GdS: ‘Only the cup remains’ – how Atalanta ended Milan’s European hopes with deserved win | OneFootball

Atalanta needed just one goal from Ederson to beat Milan and put an end to the ambitions of a comeback for a European spot.

La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recall how on Easter Sunday evening, Gian Piero Gasperini confirmed that his side are relentless away from home. They racked up their 11th win away from Bergamo, two more than Inter and Napoli fighting for the Scudetto. Atalanta have earned 36 points away from the Gewiss Stadium.

Milan, who were hoping for a different performance three days before the return leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final against Inter, have lost 10 times in the league and are almost certain that they will not be able to qualify for Europe through Serie A.

Alternative route needed

The ‘alternative’ route of the Coppa Italia remains (winning it would guarantee a place in the Europa League), but, after the clean sheet in Udine, Conceiçao’s defensive department failed again.

During the former Porto manager’s reign, the Rossoneri kept clean sheets in just four out of 24 matches. It is way too few to dream of anything big.

The paper believes there is no doubt about the legitimacy of the Nerazzurri’s victory: the away team controlled the match in the first half in which, thanks to a clear superiority in possession (62%), they pinned their opponents in their half of the pitch without creating too many big chances.

The Diavolo, lined up with the same formation that had led to the victory in Friuli, were unable to play aggressively, moved themselves deeper and limited themselves to trying counter-attacks with a few vertical passes.

The poor form of Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao – well contained by Bellanova, who Gasperini moved to the line of three with Cuadrado and Zappacosta at wing-back – complicated Milan’s plans and allowed Carnesecchi to be a spectator (or almost) for 90 minutes.

Ederson wins it

If Milan can have a complaint, it is that they conceded the decisive goal at the best moment of their game, when they had returned from the dressing room showing more courage and more pace.

For 10 minutes they overturned the inertia of the match and La Dea retreated to the last 30 metres, without Reijnders, Fofana and Leao managing to find the target.

Atalanta, revitalised by the fresh forces of Kossounou, Toloi and Ruggeri, found a better set-up to slow down the opponent by moving Bellanova up to the wing-back and placing Ruggeri on the opposite flank.

And it was precisely the two full-backs who took part in the action of the 1-0 that also saw Retegui, Pasalic and Lookman give an important contribution before the assist from the former Torino winger for Ederson’s header.

The Brazilian thus scored the fourth goal of his season and confirmed the trend that when he beats the opposing goalkeeper, the Bergamo club win. Having gone behind, Milan were unable to react and, despite having half an hour and five substitutions at their disposal, they did not create any danger.

Conceiçao threw into the fray Joao Felix, Abraham and Sottil first, then Chukwueze and Gimenez without obtaining positive responses from any of them. Atalanta thus controlled and celebrated: the Champions League for Gasperini is close, while the Rossoneri fans left San Siro disappointed. Again.