The breakthrough came in the thirty-first minute, and it started with Fiorentina pressing Demien's side of the pitch.

Lookman received from Hateboer under immediate pressure from two Fiorentina players, and his attempted clearance was rushed and went straight to Mandragora who was positioned centrally, and the midfielder's first touch controlled it before his second found Bonaventura checking back toward the ball.

Fiorentina's transition was clinical.

Bonaventura played it forward to Adriano who had found space between Atalanta's midfield and defensive lines, and the pass arrived cleanly while De Roon closed from behind, but Adriano's first touch cushioned the ball forward before he accelerated after it, and the simple execution left the Dutchman flat-footed.

Adriano's eyes lifted and he saw Biraghi making an overlapping run down the left flank, and the space existed because Hateboer had been caught too narrow after the initial turnover, and the pass came with perfect weight—threaded between Demiral and Tolói who were adjusting their positions.

Biraghi collected it without breaking stride and drove toward the byline as the Artemio Franchi's noise jumped dramatically, and his cross came early before Atalanta's defensive shape could recover, and the ball whipped across the six-yard box with pace and bend.

Jović had made his run ahead of Tolói's challenge, and the Serbian striker met it with a glancing header that redirected its trajectory toward the bottom corner, and Musso dove but the ball was already past him before his hand could reach it.

FIORENTINA 1-0 ATALANTA (31')

The stadium erupted with noise that felt physical in its intensity, and purple smoke exploded from the Curva Fiesole while the entire home section bounced in unison, and Jović wheeled away toward the corner flag with both arms spread wide while his teammates mobbed him.

Commentary Booth

"GOAL! And it's Ventresca who makes it happen!" the commentator shouted. "The cushion forward, the acceleration, the weighted pass—that's the difference right now!"

"That's what separates good from great," his colleague added. "Ventresca sees it early, executes it early. Clinical."

Demien stood at the center circle with his hands on his hips while watching the celebration, and his jaw was set but his expression stayed calm because showing frustration wouldn't change the scoreboard, and when Højlund jogged past and tapped his shoulder once without words the gesture carried understanding.

On the restart, Demien demanded the ball from Koopmeiners and tried to impose control immediately.

His first touch after kickoff took him away from Mandragora's pressure, and his pass found Malinovskyi on the left before he repositioned himself higher up the pitch, and when the ball came back to him thirty seconds later he slowed the tempo deliberately before switching play to Hateboer on the right.

The sequence didn't create danger but it established Atalanta's determination not to panic, and Demien's composure helped settle the team even though the deficit remained, and he drew a foul from Bonaventura two minutes later when the veteran midfielder's challenge arrived late.

In the final minutes of the half, Fiorentina sat slightly deeper and Demien found more space to operate.

At forty-two minutes he received from De Roon near the center circle, and the positioning gave him time for Andrea Pirlo's Regista Vision to process the entire field—Lookman's movement creating width on the right, Hateboer's overlapping run opening the channel, Fiorentina's defensive line sitting slightly too deep.

The switch of play came with his right foot as Paul Pogba's Long Switch Flair activated, and the ball bent through the air with curve that took it away from Mandragora's attempted interception, traveling thirty yards before finding Hateboer in space on the right flank, and the Danish wing-back drove toward the byline before cutting back to Lookman at the edge of the box.

Lookman's shot was struck cleanly but deflected off Milenkovic's outstretched leg and looped toward the top corner, and Terracciano backpedaled quickly before tipping it over the crossbar with fingertips extended.

Three minutes later Demien received again and Mesut Özil's Eye-of-the-Needle showed him the passing lane threading between two defenders, and the ball left his foot with precision as it found Malinovskyi making a diagonal run into the channel, and the Ukrainian's shot from the edge of the box was blocked by Amrabat who threw his body in front of it, and the chance died before it could develop further.

The system quietly registered both involvements as progress—not brilliance, but competence under pressure—though the mission parameters remained unfulfilled because neither sequence produced the goal contribution required.

As the halftime whistle blew, the scoreboard read Fiorentina 1–0 Atalanta.

The commentary closed the half by contrasting the two young midfielders:

"Ventresca, decisive and dominant, directly influencing the goal."

"Walter, tidy and intelligent, still searching for the defining moment."

The mission remained active.

Demien walked into the tunnel knowing the truth: he hadn't been poor—but in a match like this, good wasn't enough. circle and immediately played a quick one-two with Lookman, and the return pass came into space where Demien had accelerated forward, and suddenly he had fifteen yards to attack with Fiorentina's defense still organized but not set.

His dribble took him past Bonaventura's challenge with a sharp change of direction, and space opened ahead where he could see Højlund making a run across the front of the penalty area, and the pass needed to be threaded between two defenders who were converging.

The ball left Demien's right foot with the inside contact that added curve, and it bent around Amrabat's outstretched leg before reaching Højlund's feet just inside the box, and the Danish striker took one touch to control before striking toward goal.

Terracciano positioned himself well and blocked the shot with his body, and the rebound fell to Lookman who struck it immediately, but Milenkovic threw his body in front of it and the ball deflected wide for yet another corner.

"Another chance for Atalanta!" the commentator said. "Walter's pass was excellent, Højlund's shot blocked, Lookman's follow-up blocked again. Fiorentina defending desperately now."

The corner came to nothing as Milenkovic headed clear once more, and when the referee checked his watch one final time before raising the whistle to his lips, both teams knew the half was over.

Fweeeeeetttttttt! Fweeeeeetttttttt! Fweeeeeetttttttt!

HALFTIME: FIORENTINA 1-0 ATALANTA

The players began walking toward the tunnel as the modest crowd applauded both teams, and Fiorentina's players moved with satisfied body language because they'd executed their game plan and taken the lead, while Atalanta's squad showed frustration tempered by professionalism because they'd created chances without converting them.

Demien walked alongside Koopmeiners toward the tunnel entrance, and neither spoke while processing the forty-five minutes that had just concluded, and when they passed the away section a few hundred Atalanta supporters applauded the effort despite the deficit.

Commentary Booth

"Well, that's an absorbing first half here at the Artemio Franchi," the lead commentator said as replays showed key moments. "Fiorentina lead one-nil, and it's been earned through their intensity and clinical finishing when the chance arrived."

"The contrast between the two wonderkids has been fascinating," the co-commentator added. "Ventresca with the decisive contribution—the turn, the pass that led directly to the goal. Walter has been tidy, intelligent, helping Atalanta maintain possession and create chances. But in a match like this, good isn't quite enough. He needs that defining moment in the second half."

The screen showed match statistics:

FIORENTINA 1-0 ATALANTA

Possession: 48% - 52%

Shots: 8 - 6

Shots on Target: 4 - 3

Corners: 4 - 5

Pass Accuracy: 86% - 88%

Demien Walter - 45 minutes played:

Touches: 34 | Passes: 28/31 (90%) | Key Passes: 2 | Duels: 4/7 | Rating: 6.8

The tunnel swallowed both teams as they disappeared toward their respective dressing rooms, and the commentary continued analyzing the half while stadium announcer's voice echoed across the stands confirming the scoreline.

Demien followed his teammates down the corridor toward Atalanta's away dressing room where Gasperini would deliver his halftime instructions, and the weight of the situation settled fully across his shoulders—one goal down, forty-five minutes remaining, and the mission still active.

The first half belonged to Fiorentina and Adriano's decisive contribution.

The second half would determine whether Demien could respond when it mattered most.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.