Carnesecchi pulls up the drawbridge & Zaniolo scores to secure our 10th win in a row!
Nerazzurri defeat Cagliari 1-0
A second-half goal from Zaniolo, a steel-clad Carnesecchi and an outstanding team display: such were the buzzwords behind Atalanta's 10th win in a row as the Nerazzurri claim the Unipol Domus by edging past Cagliari 1-0.
While Brescianini had his go to break the initial stalemate in the 20th but saw his angled left-footer fly inches wide, Carnesecchi stole the show in the closing minutes: after negating the Piccoli-Zortea-Piccoli "trifecta" on 39 minutes, the black-and-blue keeper thwarted Piccoli's point-blank attempt 3 minutes later.
The second half opened up with three Atalanta changes and a great chance for Pašalić, who burst into the box and sent his close-range effort over. Pašalić had another go in the 55th minute when he met Ruggeri's cross but fired over. Cagliari responded two minutes later through Mina, who nodded wide. On 59 minutes the Nerazzurri combined to send Kossounou clear on goal, Pašalić knocked it back for the black-and-blue defender but his finish got eventually charged out for a corner by Sherri. The breakthrough came on 66 minutes through the Bellanova-Zaniolo connection as the clear-cut finish from Atalanta's no. 10 muscled through the post and the opposing keeper to put the Nerazzurri's lead on the scoresheet. The Bergamo outfit neared their second of the game in a matter of minutes with the post denying Lookman in the 68th. The game's coda saw Carnesecchi take off yet again to oppose Mina's headed effort first before defusing the hosts once more well into injury time with a knee-jerk save on Luperto's header to put the 1-0 lead on black and white.
CAGLIARI 0-1 ATALANTA
Scorer: Zaniolo 66 (A).
Cagliari: Sherri, Zappa, Mina, Luperto, Augello (Obert 71), Adopo, Makoumbou (Marin 77), Deiola (Gaetano 71), Zortea (Pavoletti 77), Luvumbo (Felici 53), Piccoli. Unused bench: Ciocci, Scuffet, Lapadula, Viola, Prati, Jankto, Wieteska, Palomino, Dentello, Mutandwa. Coach: Davide Nicola.
Atalanta: Carnesecchi, Kossounou, Hien (Djimsiti 46), Kolašinac, Bellanova, Éderson, Pašalić (Samardžić 64), Ruggeri, Brescianini (de Roon 46), De Ketelaere (Zaniolo 64), Retegui (Lookman 46). Unused bench: Rui Patrício, Rossi, Toloi, Godfrey, Sulemana, Cuadrado, Palestra, Zappacosta. Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini.
Referee: Luca Pairetto from Nichelino;
Assistant referees: Pietro Dei Giudici from Latina and Dario Garzelli from Livorno;
Fourth official: Livio Marinelli from Tivoli;
V.A.R.: Daniele Paterna from Teramo;
A.V.A.R.: Rosario Abisso from Palermo.
Notes: Luperto (C), de Roon (A), Augello (C), Zaniolo (A), Obert (C) and Samardžić (A) booked.