UEFA Youth League: Young Boys 2-4 Atalanta
Nerazzurro comeback in Bern
With Atalanta coming back from behind to perform a climactic comeback over Young Boys, the 2024/25 UEFA Youth League League Phase MD5 saw the black-and-blue Primavera walk off the Swiss capital with the full three points and their 4th win in the Junior European competition to climb up to 12 points in the general standings.
Chalking up an early lead, the hosts broke the deadlock only three minutes past kick-off through a Lüthi point-blank header. Despite Atalanta clicking offensively shortly afterwards with Fiogbe, it was Tsimba who got the upper hand to score the Swiss outfit's second in the 20th. Nonetheless, the Nerazzurri pulled one back on 33 minutes as Riccio vanquished the opposing keeper after wrongfooting his marker though a great faint away from the goal. Closing the first half on the offensive, coach Bosi's lads neared the equalizer twice at the brink of halftime as Fiogbe's header and Riccio's free-kick shot both hissed off target.
After Steffanoni failed to capitalize on a slip-up from the opposing keeper, the Swiss goalie amended his blunder with a key save moments later. The hosts then went down one man after Bomo received a second yellow card on 56 minutes. 62 minutes on the stopwatch and again struck Riccio, with Atalanta's number 8 making it 2-2 through a pinpoint Simonetto assist. Immediately going for the tie-breaker, the Nerazzurri were initially denied the goal by the woodworks as coach Bosi's lads smacked the post twice and the crossbar before Riccio completed his hat-trick on 69 minutes through a ranged effort, which brushed the post before rebounding on the opposing keeper and into the goal. Atalanta Primavera then put the game to sleep in the 72nd through Fiogbe, who made it 2-4 by displacing Uebersax from the spot.
YOUNG BOYS 2-4 ATALANTA
Scorers: Lüthi 3 (YB), Tsimba 20 (YB), Riccio 33, 62, 69 (A), Fiogbe pen 72 (A).
Young Boys: Uebersax, Souza Bregant, Ademi (Isa 77), Damnjanovic, Jatzer, Bomo, Etoski (Macumi 70), Jost, Tsimba (Urbano 63), Rufener (Tschanz 73), Lüthi (Bellino 71). Unused bench: Cherif, Loboda, Wyss, Raicevic. Coach: André Niederhäuser.
Atalanta: Zanchi, Ghezzi (Simonetto 46), Riccio (Gobbo 78), Mencaraglia (Bonanomi 63), Tavanti, Baldo (Camara 63), Artesani, Bilać, Steffanoni, Idele (Arrigoni 78), Fiogbe. Unused bench: Torriani, Sala, Isoa, Bono. Coach: Giovanni Bosi.
Referee: Granit Maqedonci (SWE) Assistant Referees: Daniel Yng (SWE) and Runo Sebastian Robertsson (SWE). Fourth Official: Hüseyin Sanli (SUI).
Notes: Bomo (YB) sent off on 56 minutes after receiving a second yellow card; Bomo (YB), Idele (A), and Jost (A) booked.