Inter v Atalanta: the brainteaser

Lecce, Turin, Milan. Closing off the trio of back-to-back outings, Atalanta will see August off on a high, playing Inter away in San Siro in their first seasonal top clash. namely the early Friday fixture kicking-off at 20:30 CEST.

How many Atalanta players have scored at least a brace in San Siro?

Out of the 72 matchups played at the Meazza stadium, the Orobic Nerazzurri have scored 2 or more goals on 16 occasions, but how many Atalanta players can flaunt to have bagged multiple scorings in San Siro? To this day, the count stands at 5.**

And now, to make things even spicier and to single out the true Atalanta fans at heart, could you list them all by heart?

Going in order of apparition: Poul Rasmussen (a brace in our 1-2 win in the 1955/56 season); Fulvio Simonini (a brace in our 1-3 triumph back in the 1985/86 campaign); Cristiano Doni (also two goals in our MD38 4-3 setback in the 2008/09 campaign); Germán Denis (a hat-trick in the 3-4 landslide, alos making him the one and only Atalanta player to have bagged three goals in San Siro). Last but not least Giacomo Bonaventura: another brace in our 1-2 win in the 2013/14 season.

Relive Germán Denis' "hattrick-hero" night with the highlights of the match!

Did we ever face Inter on a Friday?

Out of the 140 "Nerazzurri Derby" thus far contended in all competitons, our 30 August clash will be a historic first: never before had Atalanta taken on Inter on a Friday early kick-off.

But which are the most recurring days instead?

Starting off from the weekend, Sunday takes (most of) the biscuit with 109 encounters (55 at home and 54 away) followed by Saturday with 14 (6 in Bergamo and 8 in Milan) with Monday hanging up the rear as the "Black-and-blue Monday night" only took place once (in the 2020/21 season). Moving on to mid-week matchdays, while only one game was held on Tuesday (the 2022/23 Coppa Italia quarter-final tie) 8 fixtures across the Serie A, the UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia kicked off on Wednesday.

Midfield virtuosos in action: Iličić and Eriksen vie for possession in the only Monday Nerazzurro night played thus far

In which season did we claim our last Meazza win?

To the eyes of our most observant (or with a good memory at least) fans, we dropped an easter egg in the opening question. Circling back, it's the 2013/14 Serie A MD29 we are talking about: 5th placed Walter Mazzarri's Inter host Colantuono's lads, eight at the time, in the early afternoon of Sunday, March 23.

Although the hosts threaten first with Guarin, Atalanta retort with Stendardo and Cigarini (halted by two great goalkeeping displays from Handanovic). As time goes by, the Orobic outfit manages to spin the threads more and more, eventually and deservedly taking the lead in the 35th: aftrer snatching Campagnaro's back-pass, Moralez ignites Bonaventura, who vanquishes the Slovenian goalie with a right-footed blow. Barely a minute after, Inter level with Icardi.

With the hosts picking up the pace in the second half, Inter capitalize on Atalanta's more speculative approach and manage to force Consigli's interventions while smacking the woodworks three times. Despite the home side's relentless forcing in the closing minutes, Atalanta eventually have the last laugh: 90 minutes and the stopwatch and in goes Brienza with a free-kick to find Bonaventura who, after sneaking past the opposing defence, nodded the ball in to vanquish Handanovic and score the brace that allow The Bergamo side to seize the three points in Milan.

Pictured below in the archive photo, Giacomo "Jack" Bonaventura a wink after his header crossed the goal line to give Atalanta the win Inter 1-2 Atalanta back on 23/03/2014