2024/25 Group A Play-offs Rd2: AlbinoLeffe 1-3 Atalanta U23s
Black-and-blue comeback and off to the National stage
A 'Maglia Sudata Sempre' display sees Atalanta claim a spot in the National stage in Zanica: after trailing for nearly an hour, coach Modesto's side mounted a riveting 3-1 comeback to vanquish AlbinoLeffe on their home turf courtesy of Vlahović, Ceresoli and Vavassori.
Despite a good start from Atalanta, who had pushed forward for the first 20 minutes, it was the home side who broke the deadlock in the 25th minute with Zoma.
Picking up where they left off at the halftime break, the Nerazzurri piled on the pressure in the second half and nearly drew level in the 61st with Gyabuaa, whose effort in the heart of the box was eventually deflected out for a corner. Ceresoli followed suit on 64 minutes, trying his luck with a ranged left-footed daisycutter from outside the box, only to see his attempt hiss wide of the post. A huge chance came for Bernasconi in the 68th: set up by Panada, the black-and-blue wingback skipped past Marietta one-on-one but let the ball roll a bit too far, allowing the opposing defence to send it out for a corner. After slicing through the opposing rearguard and carving out a niche for a shot inside the box with a quick dribble, De Nipoti got his effort foiled by Marietta in the 72nd. 75 minutes on the stopwatch and on came the black-and-blue comeback: a pinpoint low cross slid in the box by Bernasconi for Vlahović, who made no mistake and levelled the game with a first-time finish. After Vavassori's went but a whisker away from turning the match around in the 82nd, when he got walled off by the onrushing keeper; then in the 86th Bernasconi plucked out a finesse move out of thin air to give Atalanta the lead: after freezing his marker with a slick dummy he shifted the ball on his right foot before firing home the go-ahead goal. And in stoppage time, the Nerazzurri put the game to sleep with Vavassori, making no mistake in the mano-a-mano with Marietta to cap off the comeback in style.
ALBINOLEFFE 1-3 ATALANTA U23s
Scorers: Zoma 25 (AL), Vlahović 75 (AT), Ceresoli 86 (AT), Vavassori 91 (AT).
AlbinoLeffe: Marietta, Barba (Giannini 79), Potop, Longo (Agostinelli 69), Zoma, Fossati, Gusu, Parlati, Munari (Astrologo 79), Baroni (Boloca 63), Borghini (C). Unused Bench: Facchetti, Taramelli, Zambelli, Mustacchio, Zanini, Ricordi, Angeloni, Vinzioli, Sorrentino. Coach: Giovanni Lopez.
Atalanta U23s: Vismara, Del Lungo (Tornaghi 94), Pounga (De Nipoti 46), Gyabuaa (C), Panada (Riccio 94), Obrić, Ceresoli, Cassa (Navarro 87), Bernasconi, Bergonzi (Vavassori 67), Vlahović. Unused Bench: Pardel, Dajčar, Berto, Masi, Comi, Ghislandi, Scheffer, Alessio, Artesani, Lonardo. Coach: Francesco Modesto.
Referee: Mr. Mattia Drigo from Portogruaro;
Assistant referees: Matteo Gentile from Isernia and Luigi Ingenito from Piombino;
Fourth official: Francesco Zago from Conegliano;
V.A.R.: Matteo Gualtieri from Asti;
A.V.A.R.: Edoardo Gianquinto from Parma.
Notes: Gyabuaa (AT), Potop (AL), Obrić (AT), Modesto (AT), Gusu (AL) and Vavassori (AT) booked.