Despite a late comeback by Atalanta, Inter were able to secure all three points in Bergamo thanks to a penalty kick from Hakan Calhanoglu as well as a stunning finish from Lautaro Martinez.
Inter’s trip to Atalanta was sure to be a physical one, as it was expected to be the primary mode of play between the two teams, and the action on the field did not disappoint. Inter was troubled all night by Gian Piero Gasperini’s team because of the high press that they maintained, but despite some bending here and there, the Nerazzurri not only never broke, but they also proved to be lethal in the final third of the game.
Even though Gianluca Scamacca scored a goal to make it interesting, Inter came out on top in the end thanks to a penalty kick from Hakan Calhanoglu and a miracle strike from Lautaro Martinez. Despite this, the final score was 2-1 in favor of Inter.
The proceedings started with a very interesting backdrop consisting of a construction site and the skeleton of a stand behind Yan Sommer’s objective. On the field, however, it was Atalanta that appeared to be a bit more up for it and caused issues for Inter with its high press. That did not translate into much action for La Dea in the final third for the most part, with the lone exception being a volley that was taken by Matteo Ruggeri in the 21st minute that went just wide of the far post.
Benjamin Pavard went down with what looked to be a major knee injury in the 30th minute after making an uncomfortable landing, which was the low point of the half for Inter from their point of view.
Matteo Darmian, who came on as a substitute for Pavard, proved to be instrumental in Inter’s first goal, which came in the 40th minute of play. A marauding run forward from the Italian produced chaos in Atalanta’s box, as Juan Musso collided into a sliding Darmian with the ball loose near the end line. The collision led Atalanta to lose possession of the ball. The referee indicated the location of the penalty, and Hakan Calhanoglu scored his tenth consecutive goal from 12 yards out to maintain his perfect record for scoring penalties.
Inter started the second half on the offensive and got its second goal of the match in the 57th minute courtesy to a moment of brilliance from Lautaro. Inter had several chances before Lautaro’s goal, but none of them were successful. After receiving a pass from Mkhitaryan in the top corner of the box, the Argentine curled an effort into the top corner of the net.
However, Atalanta was almost immediately given a lifeline owing to a terrible backpass by Calhanoglu and an even poorer turnover by Dimarco. This allowed them to get back in the game. In the 61st minute, Lookman took advantage of a defensive miscue by the latter player and played a straightforward square ball to Scamacca, who scored with a powerful shot from close range.
Following Scamacca’s goal, Atalanta gained momentum to continue their pursuit of an equalizer, while Inter’s primary focus shifted to protecting their lead. Inter was able to lay claim to the victory after some drama, saves from Sommer, and a red card given to Rafael Toloi for bringing Alexis Sanchez to the ground while he was on the counterattack. The final half an hour was naturally tense due to the circumstances.
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