Atalanta v Inter: the brainteaser

A second heart-stopping weekend finale is in store for Atalanta who, upon pulling out all stops and pulling off an outstanding landslide at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, are yet again called to rise to the occasion once more. Confiding in the full-throated push of the Bergamasco faithful, all dressed to the nines for such climactic watershed, the team will look to carry forward the masterclass delivered in the "midterm test" against Juventus before catching their breath ahead of the grueling homestretch following the international break. So, get ready for the second consecutive "night before the exams" with the ultimate prep quiz: on Sunday, March 16, in the grand hall of the Gewiss Stadium, a "Nerazzurro Derby" is set to unfold, with a 110 and honors finish in sight!

2020/21 season, Atalanta 1-1 Inter: who made their first start as a Nerazzurro?

For many members of the current Atlanta roster, the match against Inter carries special resonance, filled with meaningful moments and unforgettable memories. Such were the case, for instance, of Marten de Roon, who made his Serie A debut against Inter on August 23, 2015, in San Siro starting in Colantuono's lineup and playing the full match on the opening day of the 2015/16 season, or Berat Djimsiti, who found the back of the net for the first time as an Atalanta player against Inter in Bergamo, contributing to the 4-1 victory in the 2018/19 season. Along the same lines goes the 7th round of the 2020/21 campaign.

Speaking of lasting "firsts," this time not just in terms of minutes played but also in terms of impact on the scoreboard, the match stood out for a true "dream debut" by Aleksey Miranchuk. Then-number 59 hit the ground running, scoring his first of 13 goals just twenty minutes after coming on.

Both landed in Bergamo in the summer of 2020 and both subbed in in the second half just like Lesha, unlike Miranchuck Lammers and Mojica made their first start in the previous game: for the Colombian and the Dutchman, the away trip to Ferraris against Sampdoria on the 6th matchday a tandem start in the Atalanta lineup.

However, since the question refers to the first start of one of the 23 players on Gasperini’s list, who is the mysterious player of the week?

We are talking about Atalanta’s most recent centurion, Matteo Ruggeri, who made his first start on that November 8th afternoon, just over five days after his first-ever minutes at Anfield in the Champions League.

How many appearances has Bellanova made for Inter?

In keeping the tradition of featuring several former players on both sides alive, the Sunday 16 game between Atalanta and Inter will bring together hree who have swapped the Atalanta blue and black for Inter's jersey, and vice versa.The footballers in question are Bastoni, Cuadrado, and Bellanova.

Who among them has made the most appearances for their former team?

Let’s kick off with Alessandro Bastoni: a product of Atalanta’s youth academy,having spent 12 years in Zingonia, the 1999-born defender worked his way up, making 27 appearances with the Primavera in the meantime, to the First team, with whom he notched up 9 matches.

Cuadrado and Bellanova took the reverse path instead: while the switch from Milan to Bergamo was seamless for El Panita, having arrived in Bergamo as a free agent this summer, Bellanova had to further cut his teeth in Turin before making the jump back in the Orobic city: moving on to the next in line, then Cuadrado has made 12 appearances for Inter. 22 were instead the appearances racked up by the Italian wingback during his spell in Milan in the 2022/23 campaign.

For the delight of all stats buff reading, 19 were instead the match played for Atalanta by the current Inter caretaker Simone Inzaghi, who donned the Orobic shirt in the 2007/08 season.

How many matches does our longest unbeaten home streak against Inter amount to?

Out of the 68 "Nerazzurro Derbies" played in Bergamo thus far across all competitions, Atalanta remained unbeaten on 41 accasions (with 17 wins and 24 draws), while Inter have taken the spoils 27 times. Coming during thje 2018/19 season,the most recent Bergamasca win was the crowning moment of a streak of 4 consecutive unbeaten results (2 wins and as many draws), just one match shy of the Club's second-longest unbeaten run. On the second step of the podium in fact sit two runs of 5 undefeated encounters, namely the one achieved between the 1954/55 and 1959/60 seasons (made up of 3 draws, all 1-1, and 2 wins), and the other that lasted from the 2008/09 to the 2013/14 campaigns ( comprising 3 more 1-1 draws and 2 wins).

So, how long is our longest unbeaten streak?

Spanning a remarkable 11 consecutive seasons, the longest unbeaten run at home against Inter stretched from the opening match of the 1984/85 Serie A season (a 1-1 draw, with Osti equalizing cancelling out Muraro’s temporary lead) to the 1-1 draw in the 4th round of the 1995/96 season. This unbeaten run consisted of 12 consecutive home matches (11 in Serie A and 1 in the UEFA Cup, specifically the 0-0 draw in the first leg of the 1990/91 quarter-finals).