"It's-a-me, Mario": Pašalić is the Lete POTM of February!

With the iconic catchphrase of his video-game namesake, Mario Pašalić unlocks February’s slot in the Player of the Month Lete Hall of Fame. Power-up activated, Atalanta’s No. 8 turned into the month’s final boss: first a cheat code capable of throwing opposition backlines into disarray, then Player One in the all-Nerazzurri final stage, where he sealed game over with a landslide of votes.

Rounding off the podium after the Battle Royale on the Atalanta App are Marco Carnesecchi and the Samarđžić–Krstović duo.

Gold goes to February’s top scorer, who lived up to his nickname by going truly “Super,” just like only Mario can. Three goals, all carrying huge weight: against Juventus to roll the end credits at the New Balance Arena and punch Atalanta’s ticket to the semifinals; against Napoli to draw the Nerazzurri level and make the opening move for the eventual “checkmate” against the reigning Italian champions — a match in which he was also named MVP. And, dulcis in fundo, against Borussia Dortmund to score the temporary 3-0, planting yet another flag in what has now become his territory of conquest: Europe.

And if telling the story of Mario’s month means starting from his most iconic calling card - that of Atalanta's man of the hour, if not the outright king, of cup competitions - then an honourable mention, far from secondary, must go to the milestones lined up by the Nerazzurri No. 8: his latest strike in the UEFA Champions League is another notch in a journey that last October crowned him the club’s all-time top scorer on Europe’s biggest stage. Meanwhile, his total goals in an Atalanta shirt have climbed to 67, with Luis Muriel now firmly in his sights. The appearances ranking has also been reshuffled: he has overtaken Bonacina and now sits third all-time.

Completing the picture is his proverbial tactical versatility. An attacking midfielder by vocation, a mezzala or even a holding midfielder when required, Mario proved to be a genuine Swiss-army knife for coach Palladino, capable of making an impact in every area of the pitch, with quality and work rate in equal measure.

From one penalty area to the other, this month’s silver medal takes its place between the sticks. Second spot goes to Marco Carnesecchi, who kicked off February as the undisputed star with a genuine masterclass on “that branch of Lake Como,” commanding the stage from start to finish: first by making up for the numerical disadvantage with a performance worthy of an extra outfield player, then by staring down Nico Paz from the spot in the 98th minute and coming out on top. Ironically, it was the first of the two penalties that — between the opening and closing acts — would end up framing his February.

After dominating the “green carpet” at the Sinigaglia, where the No. 29, in full Hollywood Walk of Fame fashion, left both his signature and the imprint of his mittens in the six-yard box while walking away with Player of the Match honours on that lakeside night, Carnesecchi carried that momentum into the Coppa Italia. If Scamacca, Sulemana and Pašalić put their names on the scoresheet, he locked the vault at the back.

Then it was back to league duty, and back to pulling the shutters down: at the Olimpico against Lazio came his third clean sheet of the month. In between, there were interventions of enormous weight — the sharp stop on Allyson Santos against Napoli, and above all the rapid-fire sequence against Borussia Dortmund — first Brandt, then Guirassy and Silva in quick succession — building a true Nerazzurri wall in front of the Borussen offensive on a European night in Bergamo. Only a moment of brilliance from Adeyemi managed to scratch it, but nothing more.

And finally, from one penalty to another — neatly closing the thread that links all the POTM finalists — if it was Marco Carnesecchi who opened the month of February, the honour of bringing both the monthly recap and the Lete-branded podium to a close goes to a shared bronze, forged — how could it be otherwise — on a Champions League playoff night. Taking their place on the lowest, yet for the occasion most crowded, step of the podium is the “90–10 tandem”.

Lazar Samardžić and Nikola Krstović, the Dioscuri of the Nerazzurri comeback: if “Laki” supplied the class and ice-cold composure from the spot to cap off a week worthy of top marks — one that had begun with the winner in another comeback, this time against Napoli in Serie A — Nikola, on top of his goal and Player of the Match award against US Cremonese, quite literally put his body on the line. No introduction needed for his diving header — a full-stretch lunge to hook the loose ball after Mario Pašalić’s chipped effort — winning the decisive penalty and throwing open the most cinematic of sliding doors deep in Zona Cesarini of the win-or-go-home clash against Borussia Dortmund.

And so, just like in that frame after the goal against Juve — with Nikola pointing at Mario as he slides in celebration beneath the Curva Nord, almost crowning him and foreshadowing the baton being passed — the changing of the guard between January’s and February’s Player of the Month becomes a reality.