Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Stadio Alberto Picco, La Spezia

8:45 PM - First Half

Fweeeeeetttttttt!!!!!

The whistle blew and Spezia's striker touched the ball backward, and the match started as ten thousand voices packed around the pitch made noise while Atalanta's formation spread across their defensive shape.

Spezia's opening intent was obvious from the first pass as their front three closed down Atalanta's center-backs without hesitation, and their pressing shape formed with aggressive coordination that suggested home confidence rather than cautious respect, and immediately the difference from training-ground preparation became apparent because Spezia weren't waiting to see what Atalanta would do, they were forcing the visitors to react.

1' - 5' |

Musso received the kickoff and rolled the ball to Djimsiti who took two touches before playing it square to Demiral, but Spezia's striker Nzola was already sprinting toward him with body positioning that cut off the central passing lane back to Musso, and Demiral's return pass came quicker than intended as the pressure arrived faster than expected.

The ball reached Tolói on the right side of Atalanta's back three, and immediately Spezia's left winger Verde closed him down with coordinated movement while their midfielder Bourabia stepped up to cut the passing lane toward De Roon, and Tolói's clearance went long rather than building through the press because the space to play out from the back simply wasn't there.

The ball sailed over midfield and bounced into Spezia's defensive third where their center-back Caldara headed it clear without difficulty, and the sequence established the pattern immediately—Spezia pressing high and aggressive while Atalanta tried to find rhythm against pressure that gave no time to settle.

From the touchline Gasperini's voice carried clearly across the pitch as he gestured for his defenders to stay calm and look for the outlets in midfield, though his expression showed concern rather than panic because this kind of intensity from the home side was expected on a Wednesday night under lights at the Picco.

Commentary Booth

"Immediate pressure from Spezia here at the Picco," the lead commentator observed, and his voice carried approval for the home side's intensity. "They're not giving Atalanta any time on the ball. High press, aggressive challenges, making life uncomfortable for the visitors from the first whistle."

"Exactly what we expected," his colleague added. "Fourth place coming to seventeenth—Spezia need points desperately and they're showing that urgency. Force Atalanta into mistakes, feed off the crowd energy, make this a battle rather than a football match."

The Curva Ferrovia behind Spezia's goal was packed tight with supporters standing shoulder to shoulder, and their chant rose in waves that crashed against the pitch while drums thundered beneath the voices, and the noise created pressure that felt physical even through the broadcast.

Demien stood near the center circle with his hands on his hips while his eyes tracked Spezia's pressing pattern, and he recognized the system immediately from Gasperini's video analysis—two strikers cutting off the center-backs, wingers pressing the fullbacks, midfield trio stepping up aggressively to deny space in the middle third—and the coordination was excellent even if the execution wasn't perfect.

At the third minute Atalanta tried to build again when Musso rolled the ball to Hateboer on the right flank, and immediately Verde closed him down with speed that forced a hurried touch, and Hateboer's pass back toward Tolói was slightly underhit which caused the ball to hang in the air longer than intended.

Nzola read the flight perfectly and arrived at the dropping ball before Tolói could adjust, and his challenge was aggressive but clean as he stepped across to win possession, and suddenly Spezia had the ball in Atalanta's defensive third with numerical advantage because their press had committed bodies forward.

Verde received from Nzola and drove toward the penalty area with Djimsiti tracking his run, and the Albanian defender's positioning forced Verde wider than he wanted which bought time for Atalanta's defensive shape to recover, and when Verde's cross came in toward the near post Demiral attacked it with a powerful header that cleared the danger back toward midfield.

The ball broke to Koopmeiners who controlled it under pressure from Bourabia before playing it square to De Roon, and the Dutch duo's quick combination settled Atalanta's rhythm fractionally as they began finding connections in midfield.

6' - 10' |

Spezia's crowd sensed momentum and the noise built with each sequence, and whistles greeted every Atalanta touch while applause erupted for simple tackles.

Demien dropped deeper than his usual attacking midfield position during the eighth minute as Atalanta tried to escape Spezia's press, and he showed for the ball between the lines with body positioning that offered an outlet for De Roon who was being closed down by two Spezia midfielders.

The pass came and Demien's first touch controlled it while his second turned him away from Bourabia's challenge, and his composure—now 63 after recent upgrades—kept his decision-making clear under pressure, and rather than trying to carry forward into traffic he played it simple back to Djimsiti who had space, and the decision drew a brief nod from Gasperini on the touchline.

"Walter dropping very deep here," the commentator said. "Offering himself as an extra outlet to help Atalanta build."

Atalanta's circulation improved as they drew Spezia forward through patient possession, and at the ninth minute eight passes moved the ball from Musso through both center-backs and back to the goalkeeper before releasing wide to Mæhle on the left flank.

The Danish fullback received with space for the first time in the match, and his first touch pushed the ball forward five yards while Spezia's right-back Holm scrambled to close the distance, and Mæhle's cross came early before the defensive shape could organize.

The ball sailed toward the penalty spot where Højlund attacked it with a run, but Caldara positioned himself between the striker and goal, and his defensive header cleared the danger though only as far as the edge of the box where Demien had continued his run forward.

Demien's first touch cushioned the dropping ball while Bourabia closed from behind, and his second released it wide to Lookman on the left wing before the pressure could arrive, and the sequence showed Atalanta finding combinations that stretched Spezia's defensive line.

11' - 15' |

Spezia's first real chance arrived at the twelfth minute when a turnover near midfield caught Atalanta's shape transitioning forward, and Verde had space on the left wing with only Hateboer between him and the penalty area.

The Italian winger drove forward with pace that forced Hateboer to drop deeper, and Verde's body shape suggested a cross but his touch was heavier than intended which allowed Tolói to recover and apply pressure.

Verde's cross came rushed, driven low across the six-yard box with pace, and Djimsiti threw himself into the path with a clearance that deflected it away from Nzola who had been attacking the near post.

The ball spun toward the touchline where Mæhle collected it before it went out, and Atalanta's transition was immediate as the Danish fullback played it forward to Koopmeiners who had dropped to receive.

Musso's voice echoed across the penalty area as he shouted instructions to his defenders about holding their line higher, and his arms gestured forward while his face showed intensity.

From the stands the home crowd roared at the opportunity even though no goal came, and their noise built as Spezia sensed vulnerability.

16' - 20' |

Demien began to find space during this phase through positioning rather than dribbling, and at the seventeenth minute he received between Spezia's midfield lines with two defenders closing from different angles.

His body shape was prepared before the ball arrived because he'd checked over his shoulder twice in the previous three seconds—Andrea Pirlo's Regista Vision helping him scan the field faster than normal—and when Koopmeiners' pass reached him his first touch took the ball away from Bourabia's challenge while his second turned him toward goal, and rather than trying to dribble through traffic he released it wide to Hateboer who had pushed forward.

The right-back's cross came with pace toward the penalty spot but Caldara read the flight and headed clear, and the sequence earned a brief clap from Atalanta's bench.

"Walter starting to find space between the lines now," the co-commentator said. "Not forcing things, just making himself available and releasing quickly."

At the nineteenth minute another sequence built through patience as Atalanta recycled possession through their back line, and Demien dropped again to receive from De Roon with three Spezia players in his immediate vicinity.

His first touch was clean while his body shielded the ball from Bourabia who arrived with aggressive pressure, and rather than turning Demien simply laid it off first-time to Mæhle who had supported the attack, and the one-touch combination drew the Spezia press forward which created space behind their midfield line.

Mæhle drove into that space and played it forward to Lookman who had checked toward the ball, and the English winger's movement dragged Holm out of position which opened a channel down Atalanta's left flank.

Lookman's cross came with pace toward the near post where Højlund attacked the space between Spezia's center-backs, but the Danish striker's connection was behind him and the ball flew over the crossbar by two yards, and scattered groans came from the away section while Højlund raised his hand.

21' - 25' |

Atalanta's first real opening arrived at the twenty-second minute and it started with a recycled corner that Spezia cleared only as far as the edge of their penalty area, and De Roon collected the loose ball before playing it square to Koopmeiners who was positioned twenty-five yards from goal.

The Dutchman's first touch was forward which committed two Spezia midfielders toward him, and his second released the ball into the right half-space where Demien had drifted into position.

Demien received with his back partially toward goal and two Spezia defenders closing from different angles, and his body checked over his left shoulder while the ball was still in flight—Regista Vision helping him map positions before the pass arrived—and when it came his first touch took him away from the pressure while opening his body toward the left flank.

He saw Lookman making a diagonal run from wide to central before his head came up, and the pass came immediately rather than taking extra touches—weighted into the space behind Holm who had been caught too narrow—and Lookman had room to attack.

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