Gasperini equalizes in comeback – Corriere.it

Atalanta with a thousand lives ruins the start-of-year party for a handsome and courageous Spezia: between the 77th and 93rd minutes, goals from the bench by Hojlund and Pasalic saved Gasperini from the fourth consecutive defeat in Serie A, evening the scores opened by an elusive Gyasi and a rampant Nzola who dictated the law in the first half and most of the second (until the Angolan came out).

The change of attitude much requested by the Nerazzurri coach does not arrive, Atalanta takes the field at the Peak without the right spirit and the too high line in defense leaves a prairie available to the attacking pair from La Spezia who take advantage of it: after just 8 minutes, deep cut by Nzola, who gets rid of Palomino and serves Gyasi in the center who anticipates Toloi and scores his first goal of the season.

Atalanta immediately tries to reverse the trend with Zapatawho in the 12th minute launches himself into the area clashes hard with desperate outgoing Zoet: both are forced to leave the field. 2002 Zovko, until the day before yesterday only 28′ in Serie A but a lot of courage, turns out to be a great obstacle in Hojlund’s road, which gives a jolt to the Nerazzurri attack. However, Spezia is able to cover all the guest passage lines and is increasingly concrete where Atalanta appears too unbalanced: in the 31st minute Bourabia wins the duel with Ederson and Nzola needs a good through ball who goes 30 meters alone and sends the ball under Sportiello’s legs. The Nerazzurri’s 66% of ball possession was thwarted by the slippery studs of Toloi and his teammates and by Ligurian cynicism, which with Nzola’s usual approach several times for the set, canceled in the 15th minute due to Ampadu’s offside.

Gasperini launches Muriel, Pasalic and Zappacosta just when the reserve light comes on in La Spezia: in the 32nd minute of the second half Zappacosta serves Hojlund vertically who, able to leverage Kiwior, turns and scores diagonally. In the final a Nerazzurri siege: in the 93rd minute Koopmeiners crosses the ball towards the far post where Pasalic comes out who, with an undersized touch, gives an unexpected draw: his 6 goals in 5 games against Spezia. Angry and regretful, Gotti said to himself at the end of the match, Gasperini was satisfied, even if there were some serious mistakes, we equalized with suffering but rightly so, the defeat would not have reflected the performance.

Spezia will host Lecce on Sunday, Atalanta will go to Bologna on Monday evening with two men at risk: Zapata has a severe bruise on his knee, he’s sick, I don’t know if Demiral will be there.