A Talon-Sharp GOTM: Éderson Strikes Again in April!
Voted by the Nerazzurri fans on all our social accounts
"Bútio-de-pescoço-branco", that’s the Portuguese name for the white-necked hawk, a raptor native to Brazil. But why the ornithological detour to introduce April’s Goal of the Month winner? Beyond the obvious link (a shared passport), the parallels go even deeper. The second connection? A matter of color. Dressed head-to-toe in white, Atalanta’s No. 13 soared into the GOTM archives with his second career entry. But it’s the third point where the comparison truly takes flight: the finish. Much like his fine-feathered compatriot, Éderson swooped in and dove into the box to snatch first place and leave surprise contender Bonanomi and ever-reliable Pašalić empty-handed.
As per custom, climb up the standings and sift through the "exit polls" (in between brackets the "approval rate"):
Winner: Éderson dos Santos, Milan 0-1 Atalanta, 2024/25 Serie A Enilive MD33(49%);
Runner-up: Andrea Bonanomi, Juventus 3-2 Atalanta, 2024/25 “Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti" Primavera 1 league MD32 (26%);
3rd place: Mario Pašalić, Atalanta 2-0 Bologna, 2024/25 Serie A Enilive MD32 (19%);
4th place: Federico Bergonzi, Pro Patria 1-2 Atalanta U23s, 2024-2025 Serie C NOW MD33 (9%)
To brush up on our 4 finalists' scoring prowess, check the IG reels and the résumes below
4th place: Federico Bergonzi, Pro Patria 1-2 Atalanta U23s, 2024-2025 Serie C NOW MD33 (9%)
We kick things off with this month's wooden apoon, Francesco Modesto's fullback Federico Bergonzi! It was all Nerazzurri pressure with less than 15 minutes to go in what felt more like a chess match tham an end-to-end shootout. After an entire second half played on the edge of “hit and run” football, Atalanta finally tightened the noose around Pro Patria in the 72nd minute. From a simple throw-in came the tactical “castling move” by Modesto’s men to complete the siege on Varese soil: just like a medieval trebuchet, Bernasconi hurled the ball into the box for Bergonzi who, rising tallest among a sea of Biancazzurre shirts, powered home a towering header to seal the U23’s 2-1 win.
3rd place: Mario Pašalić, Atalanta 2-0 Bologna, 2024/25 Serie A Enilive MD32 (19%)
Bronze medal for a goal straight out of the POTM playbook! When describing SuperMario’s strike that doubled the lead at home in the black-and-blue jumpstart over Bologna, drifting into Player of the Month territory iqs quite a pie in the sky: after making a “run for glory” and tearing down the right wing like an American football quarterback, Retegui muscled past Lukumì in a shoulder-to-shoulder battle before whipping in a right-on-the-money cross for SuperMario. Flaunting his trademark Pašalić timing, the Vatreni number 8 slipped behind the Felsinean lines and fired the ball home first-time to leave Skorupski rooted to the spot.
Runner-up: Andrea Bonanomi, Juventus 3-2 Atalanta, 2024/25 “Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti" Primavera 1 league MD32 (26%)
April saw a breakout performance from Atalanta’s Primavera, climbing to second place on the back of their No. 10, Bonanomi! After Riccio pulled one back with a delightful curling strike into the far corner, coach Bosi’s boys didn’t just strike while the iron was hot , they raised the bar, especially in terms of goal quality. Just over two minutes later then, the Nerazzurri leveled the score in style, and it was their number diez who took center stage. A cross from Manzoni was only partially cleared by the Juventus defense, with the ball bobbling near the edge of the box. Bonanomi tamed it with his thigh and, dazzling like a bat out of hell, unleashed a thunderous left-footed volley across goal, completely wrong-footing the keeper. 2–2, game on!
A sting in the tail for the Nerazzurri, forced to throw the towel only in injury time as Juventus imposed themselves 3-2 on MD32 thanks to a late goal.
Winner: Éderson dos Santos, Milan 0-1 Atalanta, 2024/25 Serie A Enilive MD33 (49%)
Pure Nerazzurri tiki-taka! Taking top spot this month is nothing short of a jam session of fútbol total. It all kicks off with Carnesecchi setting the tempo from the back, before handing the baton to Éderson, who conducts with a maestro’s touch, playing it out to Pašalić. From there, the progression is seamless: a one-touch triangle between Retegui, dropping deep to breathe life into the build-up, and Ruggeri. SuperMario pops up once again in the enganche role, threading the needle for Lookman, who slices through the Rossoneri’s shape with a solo riff before switching play with a brilliant diagonal to Bellanova. A deft flicked header finds Éderson on the move, arriving right on cue to close out the move with a perfectly timed finish. Nine passes, sixty seconds, one GOTM winner!
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Nerazzurri’s Clockwork Orange in all its glory.