Spectacular start to season

Dag Jenkins
Aug 20, 2023
4 min read

Season 2016-17

Game 1, Serie A

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia, Bergamo

Atalanta Lazio 3-4

Three-zero up at halftime Lazio resist the Bergamaschi's comeback and hold on for precious win on debut

Atalanta had already started their Coppa Italia campaign on August 13, defeating Cremonese 3-0 at home. This was the first fixture for Lazio.

A difficult season opener to predict this evening. Bergamo was traditionally a tough place to come for the Roman clubs.

The match

A sticky summer evening saw about 15,000 present at the old Brumana now called the Atleti Azzurri d'Italia stadium.

Lazio had several absences: Stefan Radu, Senad Lulic, Bastos, Keita Balde and Felipe Anderson.

Atalanta were without Swiss midfielder Remo Freuler.

Atalanta started better and in the 8th minute Alberto Paloschi hit the crossbar, after a misunderstanding between Marco Parolo and Duşan Basta.

The Bergamaschi had more possession and attacked more but were vulnerable on the break where Lazio found space.

In the 15th minute Sergej Milinkovic-Savic put Ciro Immobile through on the left one-on-one with the keeper who he beat with a low shot on the far post, 0-1. The first of the Neapolitan striker's 207 goals for Lazio.

In the 20th minute Lazio scored again. Lucas Biglia floated a free kick into the area where Wesley Hoedt got a header in which Marco Sportiello touched but could not keep out, 0-2.

Atalanta were in trouble and unbalanced. Thirteen minutes later Lazio made it three. A Ricardo Kishna pass cut through the hosts' defensive line and sent Immobile clear. This time however Sportiello saved but Cristiano Lombardi raced in and scored on the rebound, 0-3.

Atalanta then wasted a chance to start a comeback when Leonardo Spinazzola headed wide from an extremely favourable position.

Just before halftime Atalanta were forced into a substitution with talented Marco D'Alessandro coming on in place of a more muscular Boukary Dramé. Halftime Atalanta 0 Lazio 3. Lazio were cruising despite only having 31% ball possession.

In the second half Lazio continued to control and defend but without any further dangerous forays on the break.

They reached just past the hour mark without running any serious risks but then the game changed. In the 63rd minute Franck Kessié pulled one back for the Dea. Kishna lost Andrea Conti, Milinkovic-Savic was slow and the Ivorian, just outside the area on the right, took advantage and beat Federico Marchetti on the near post with a low shot which the Lazio keeper was not expecting. 1-3.

The game was definitely re-opened two minutes later. In the 65th minute a prolonged Atalanta attack saw a low long range shot not held onto by Marchetti and Kessié was there for the tap-in, 2-3 but Marchetti's second mistake of the evening.

Inzaghi then took off Kishna for Filip Djordjevic.

Five minutes later Inzaghi took precautions by taking off forward Lombardi and putting on a physical defender Wallace.

The Orobici at this point believed in a comeback which had seemed unlikely a few minutes earlier. Lazio however defended well.

In the 78th minute Gasperini threw on another striker Andrea Petagna for a defender Ervin Zukanovic.

Atalanta put pressure on Lazio's defence but had difficulty creating any real threats.

On a curious note in the 80th minute one of the linesmen felt ill and had to be replaced by the fourth man.

In the 86th minute Roberto Gagliardini replaced Jasmin Kurtic. Gasperini probably hoped the home boy midfielder would pull off one of his long range efforts.

One minute later the visitors too made their last replacement, Danilo Cataldi came on for Milinkovic-Savic.

It was a lucky choice as after only two minutes the Roman and Lazio fan scored. Basta won a tackle and reached the right byline where he crossed low into the middle, Djordjevic was slightly late but Cataldi was at the far post and scored with his left foot, 2-4.

Game over? No. In the third minute of added time Atalanta gave themselves some hope. It was a somewhat fortuitous goal but taken well by Petagna. Conti tried a low long range shot and it was not a great strike but it reached Petagna inside the box on the right, he beat Wallace and hit a low shot past Marchetti on the far post, 3-4.

Fortunately for Lazio there were only two more minutes to play and they managed to bring home the three points to start the season well.

A good win but with some things to put right. Risking to let a three goal lead slip away was a bit worrying as were Marchetti's two blunders. On the positive side Lazio had been devastating on the break and Immobile seemed to be settling in well.

Who played for Atalanta

Sportiello, Raimondi, Toloi, Zukanovic (78' Petagna), Dramé (43' D'Alessandro), Conti, Kurtic (86' Gagliardini), Kessié, Spinazzola, Gomez, Paloschi

Substitutes: Bassi, Mazzini, Stendardo, Masiello, Caldara, Migliaccio, Carmona, Cabezas, Latte

Manager: Gasperini

Who played for Lazio

Marchetti, Basta, de Vrij, Hoedt, Lukaku, Parolo, Biglia, Milinkovic-Savic (87' Cataldi), Lombardi (70' Wallace), Immobile, Kishna (65' Djordjevic)