Como v Atalanta, the brain-teaser
Three trivia on our 2024/25 Serie A MD22 game
Nestled between two Champions League nights, the Serie A Enilive 2024/25 MD22 will see the Nerazzurri travel "to that branch of Lake Como" 22 years after their last visit to face the Larians in the afternoon kick-off on Saturday, January 25. As usual, here’s the pre-match quiz!
When was our last Serie A win at the Sinigaglia stadium?
On Saturday 25, Atalanta will return to Como 22 years after their last visit. However, considering that during that occasion the Nerazzurri played away against the Larians in the 37th round of the 2003/04 Serie B campaign, when did the two teams last face off in the top division?
If you answered "2002/03", while that was indeed the most recent away game against Como, it was played not on Larian premises but rather at the "Giglio" Stadium in Reggio Emilia, which was held at a neutral venue instead following the suspension of Como's home stadium.
The last top-division clash at the Como stadium goes all the way back to the 1988-1989 season, when the home side won 1-0 on MD28.
So, what's the bottom line? November 3, 1985. In the 9th round of the 1985/86 Serie A, Atalanta bagged a 2-0 win at Sinigaglia, with goals from Cantarutti and Magrin.
Will this be the first ever Saturday match?
While our upcoming MD22 round will mark a first of sorts in the top division, the two sides have met on a Saturday before, ironically at 15:00 CET: out of the 27 matchups "by the shores of Lake Como", the last (and only) Saturday clash was on April 10 2004, namely the Serie B round 37. The outcome? A 3-0 win for the Nerazzurri. Overall, Sunday is the unquestionable go-to day with 26 previous meetings across all competitions (3 in the Coppa Italia, 14 in the Serie B and 9 in the Serie A).
Who is the last Atalanta player to have scored away at Como?
While Atalanta's last Serie A goal at Como was scored by Paolo Foglio, who found the equalizer to make it 1-1 in the previously mentioned 2002/03 MD16 game played in Reggio Emilia, the most recent Nerazzurri goal at the lakeside was netted by Giampaolo Pazzini. The then-number 29 scored his 7th goal of his debut season with Atalanta against Como, assisted by Zenoni, to secure a 3-0 win for Mandorlini’s side. It fell instead to Saudati to usher in the scoresheet and double it for Atalanta in the first half: first with a cross-shot in the 37th, then from the penalty spot five minutes later.