Atalanta edge Sassuolo 2-1 in Serie A opener with goals from Raspadori and Krstovic
Goals from Giacomo Raspadori and Nikola Krstovic secured a 2-1 victory for Maurizio Sarri's Atalanta against Sassuolo in their Serie A season opener in Bergamo.
Early breakthrough in Bergamo
Atalanta began their domestic campaign under new head coach Maurizio Sarri with a 2-1 home victory over Sassuolo. The hosts took the lead in the sixth minute when former Sassuolo forward Giacomo Raspadori collected an assist from Gianluca Gaetano, who had won a physical battle against Armand Lauriente following a Davide Zappacosta cross. Raspadori sent a left-footed strike under the crossbar past goalkeeper Arijanet Muric. Sassuolo responded in the tenth minute when striker Bowie lifted a left-footed attempt off a Josh Doig cutback over the frame. Atalanta continued to press through Nicola Zalewski, who found space between the lines from Gianluca Scamacca before Muric covered the near post, while an Ederson effort from distance was blocked by Nemanja Matic.
Sassuolo pressure and second-half equaliser
Alberto Aquilani set up Sassuolo in a matching 4-3-3 system and saw his team take control of possession during the closing 20 minutes of the first half. Lauriente tested Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi with a curling effort before teeing up Vasilije Adzic, whose 32nd-minute shot was stopped by the home keeper. Carnesecchi denied Adzic again in the 40th minute and blocked a slalom effort from Cristian Volpato three minutes later, after Zappacosta had clipped a shot over the Sassuolo crossbar. Sassuolo maintained their momentum after the break, though Lauriente sent an Adzic pass into the stands. The visitors found their equaliser in the 55th minute when Doig launched a long throw-in, Odilon Kossounou flicked the ball backward inadvertently, and defender Cas Odenthal turned the ball home inside the six-yard box.
- Giacomo Raspadori scores the opening goal for Atalanta.
- Davide Zappacosta fires an effort over the crossbar.
- Cas Odenthal equalises for Sassuolo from a throw-in sequence.
- Nikola Krstovic scores the winning goal following a defensive error.
Decisive error delivers Atalanta victory
With the score level at 1-1, Lauriente missed another clear opportunity for the visitors around the hour mark, shooting over the target when positioned directly in front of Carnesecchi. Sarri reacted at the 60-minute mark by making three substitutions to alter the dynamic of the match. The decisive moment occurred in the 65th minute when Sassuolo defender Tommaso Macchioni made a reading error in defence, allowing substitute forward Nikola Krstovic to win the ball and slot home the winning goal. Sassuolo continued searching for a second goal, with Matic testing the home side from long range and Lorenzo Cinquegrano firing off target in deep stoppage time, but Atalanta held on for all three points.
European playoff and league schedule ahead
The league opener followed Atalanta's 0-0 draw against Hapoel Tel-Aviv in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League playoff tie. Sarri had Giorgio Scalvini back in the squad after a late recovery in training, while Mario Pasalic started in midfield in place of Lazar Samardzic, with both Samardzic and new arrival Eljif Elmas beginning on the bench. Atalanta turn their focus back to European competition with the second leg against Hapoel Tel-Aviv in five days, followed by a domestic home fixture against Bologna. Sassuolo will host their first home fixture of the league season on Saturday 29 August at 18:30 against Torino.
