Without Ademola Lookman l'Atalanta beats Leipzig
There is no Ademola Lookman, injured and especially on the brink with the management, but Atalanta has another thoroughbred striker and it is Gianluca Scamacca’s return to goal that is the best news in the victorious second friendly match of the Bergamasks who folded Leipzig in a comeback thanks to Lorenzo Bernasconi’s goal in the 90th minute.
After two injuries, the first exactly a year ago with the rupture of the cruciate in a friendly d’August and the second six months later with the injury to the rectus femoris a few minutes after his return to the field, Scamacca is ready to return to be an important player for Dea and it is his entrance at 65′ along with the rest of the bench that changed the game played on the Germans’ field.
Just under after 12′ on a volley by Openda, Atalanta suffers Ole Werner’s 4-3-3, while lacking its two best players, Xavi Simons and Sekso, now departing. Ivan Juric has to do without Lookman, left in Zingonia to recover from his calf strain and meditate on his future, and so in attack he plays Pasalic false nine, with De Ketelaere and newcomer Kamaldeen Sulemana, author of a decent test. But they are not the ones to hurt the Germans.
After more than an hour of play with few chances, Juric changes everyone, leaving only third goalkeeper Rossi and Touré sitting on the bench. Samardzic worked behind Maldini and Scamacca and it was the latter who equalized with a fine left-footer from the edge of the box, after Sportiello had prevented 2-0 with a great save on Nusa. Right at 90′ also came the winning goal by the Under 23 side Bernasconi who scored with a nice right-footed volley. And now, with the return to the field and also to Scamacca’s goal, Atalanta can return to face the Lookman case more serenely.
