A corner pocket double: Zappacosta claims March’s Snaifun GOTM!

The Atalanta Express keeps rolling! After setting the pace in the POTM, an unstoppable Davide Zappacosta also takes home the Snaifun contest, clinching the first double crown of the season in the Nerazzurri monthly awards.

A double “full steam ahead” for Zappa, who, with a textbook massé, dodged every obstacle on his track and sent all potential challengers spinning, running a perfect streak across the green tables of the app and social channels. His 19th goal for Atalanta cements his status as the second-most prolific “wingback” in the Club’s history, behind only Robin Gosens. And, as the cherry on top, Zappa’s POTM for March comes courtesy of a true “rara avis” from his repertoire: a left-foot strike, the fourth of his career at Atalanta executed with this rare specialty.

Rounding out this month’s podium, Yunus Musah fires a razor-sharp shot, while Under-23 Alberto Manzoni lands another perfect “corner-pocket” finish.

As always, here are the “exit polls” before we dive into the play-by-play of our four finalists:

Winner: Davide Zappacosta, Atalanta 1-0 Hellas Verona; Serie A Enilive MD30 (59%);

Runner-up: Yunus Musah, Lazio 2-2 Atalanta; Coppa Italia Frecciarossa semi-final 1st leg (28%);

3rd place: Alberto Manzoni, Giugliano 3-1 Atalanta U23; Serie C Sky Wifi MD32 (9%);

4th place: Dion Cakolli, Atalanta 5-2 Cagliari; Primavera 1 “Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti” MD30 (5%).

Up next: head over to our Instagram Reels and YouTube highlights to relive the top four goals from March.

4th place: Dion Cakolli, Atalanta 5-2 Cagliari; Primavera 1 “Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti” MD30

Kicking off with a truly antithetical opening, we start the usual roundup with Dion Cakolli’s cherry on top, March’s “wooden spoon” award, who completed Atalanta’s five-goal salvo against Cagliari. In a genuine goal-fest for both sides, it was the Swiss forward who stole the spotlight in the match-within-the-match, claiming the title of primus inter pares and booking his place in March’s final showdown.

In a high-octane clash, with a first half dominated by the home side and a second period a back-and-forth battle—where every Atalanta surge met a Cagliari response determined to turn up the pressure—Bosi’s number nine had the final word, sealing the rout at Zingonia. Freed by a taconazo from Baldo, who showed off his vision and technique by turning a recovered ball on the edge of the area into a killer assist, the Swiss winger raced towards goal and, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, rifled a precise low left-footed strike into the net at the 74th minute.

3rd place: Alberto Manzoni, Giugliano 3-1 Atalanta U23; Serie C Sky Wifi MD32

After the relay between Baldo and Cakolli for fourth place, the “handover” repeats even on the lowest step of the podium: if last month it was Panada who claimed silver, the Under-23’s number 5 leaves his mark again this month by setting up Alberto Manzoni’s goal.

During Atalanta’s push to claw back from a two-goal deficit at De Cristofaro, Panada drove through the middle up to the edge of the box. A quick give-and-go with Cortinovis returned the ball to the captain, who, with a no-look, first-time pass, found Manzoni’s run: the number 7 under coach Bocchetti controlled the ball on his right foot and slotted it into the far corner, completing a surgical diagonal.

Runner-up: Yunus Musah, Lazio 2-2 Atalanta; Coppa Italia Frecciarossa semi-final 1st leg

Second place goes to a second goal, this time from the lethal finisher of early March, Yunus Musah! After breaking the ice in Reggio Emilia with his first Serie A goal -which also marked his debut on the Atalanta scoresheet- Yunus added another highlight to his personal ledger just days later. Different stage, from Serie A to the Coppa Italia, different pitch, from the Città del Tricolore to the Olimpico, yet the star remained the same: the U.S. midfielder stole the show once again, crowned king for a night in a week to remember…

Following a lightning-fast exchange at the start of the second half -with Dele-Bashiru opening the scoring at 46:04 and Pašalić replying at 50:44- the game took another twist when Dia put the visitors back in front at 85:28. But Yunus Musah had the final word: at 89’, he donned the mantle of Atalanta’s Equalizer, restoring parity and shaving 1 minute and 8 seconds off SuperMario’s “lap time”, finishing with a stunning volley off the pase de la muerte from an unstoppable Kamaldeen.

Winner: Davide Zappacosta, Atalanta 1-0 Hellas Verona; Serie A Enilive MD30

And closing out the table is Davide Zappacosta: needing no introduction, the “Fast Eddie” of the March contest takes all the spoils with his killer strike against Hellas Verona, securing not just three massive points but also shaking up the scoreboard—first with the POTM and now with the Goal of the Month.

After Krstović’s sponda off Montipò and Éderson’s kick straight onto Zappacosta’s ball, sent out by Akpa-Akpro, it’s once again Zappa stealing the spotlight: collecting Scalvini’s bank shot, the 77 stretches his cue—or rather, unleashes the “Balabushka,” to borrow from the Scorsese epic—lines up the shot, and slots the ball into the far corner past Montipò, sealing the deal in the 34th minute of the first half.