Primavera: Atalanta 2-3 Sassuolo

Matchday 5 of the 2023-2024 Primavera 1 TIM “Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti” league saw Sassuolo claim a narrow win at the Centro Bortolotti in Zingonia.

The visitors got off to a strong start and Cinquegrano’s close-range header early on was charged down by Riccio. Atalanta replied in the 15th minute through Bonanomi, whose finish from the edge of the box was punched away by the goalkeeper. After Simonetto first set up Colombo, who fired over, he then cleared Neophytou’s 18th-minute effort off the line. While Bonanomi pounced on a rebound to break the deadlock in the 21st minute, Pardel was tested by Lipani and Cannavaro. On 28 minutes Knezovic managed to level the score for the visitors, who took the lead five minutes later through Cinquegrano's great strike into the top corner.

Six minutes into the second half, Knezovic grabbed his second goal of the match and extended the visitors' lead. Although the Nerazzurri pushed hard to fight back, with Bonanomi's and substitute Cassa's efforts both saved, Sassuolo almost added a fourth on 78 minutes when Lopez's cross-shot bounced off the post. After Manzoni did pull one back at the buzzer, Atalanta kept on piling on the pressure and also had penalty appeals because of an injury-time clash between Castiello and Cannavaro inside the box, which the referee failed to award. Being this the last highlight of the match, the 2-3 scoreline remained unchanged and the visitors came out on top at the Centro Bortolotti.

ATALANTA 2-3 SASSUOLO

Scorers: Bonanomi 21 (A), Knezovic 28 (S), Cinquegrano 33 (S), Knezovic 51 (S), Manzoni 89 (A).

Atalanta: Pardel, Simonetto (Obrić 64), Comi (Tornaghi 46), Manzoni, Riccio (Fiogbe 64), Vavassori (Capac 46), Guerini, Bonanomi (Cassa 78), Martinelli, Castiello, Colombo. Unused bench: Sala, Chiggiato, Bevilacqua, Armstrong, Orlando, Gariani. Coach: Giovanni Bosi.

Sassuolo: Theiner, Cinquegrano, Loeffen (Corradini 78), Russo, Leone, Knezovic (Bruno 70), Pigati (Lopes 70), Cannavaro, Neophytou (Baldari 70), Lipani, Parlato. Unused bench: Scacchetti, Piantedosi, Okojie, Rovatti, Caragea, Ioannou, Petrosino. Coach: Emiliano Bigica.

Referee: Gabriele Sacchi from Macerata (assistant referees Vittorio Consonni from Treviglio and Ionut Eusebiu Nechita from Lecco).