A perfect evening for Club Brugge in Bergamo. Arriving from Belgium with a difference of one goal scored in the last minutes of the round-robin match, the visitors entered the field prepared.
The Bergamasci looked very motivated and had full stands. The noise from the Stadio Atleti d’Azzuri was putting pressure on the visitors from the warm-up.
The superb scenery of Curva North and South (with two possible meanings: one, that Atalanta was wronged in the round-robin match when Brugge received a penalty in extra time and the second, that in Bergamo the audience is always the 12th player, not the referee) did not foretell disaster, the home fans could only imagine victory and qualification.
But, to their surprise, in the 3rd minute, Club Brugge quickly put a goal over theirr first match advantage. Talbi capitalized on a school counterattack, and the visitors put themselves back on defense.
Atalanta forced the net and had several great chances. Retegui even scores after Cuadrado’s cross, but the goal is disallowed for offside. The pressure increases, but the ones who scored again are the visitors Talbi again, the same scenario, a textbook counterattack.
The dream of the Final 4 in Munich of the “magical Atalanta” seems to be crumbling. And it crumbles in the extra time of the first half. The same scenario: counterattack. This time Jutgla scores.
It’s 0-3 at half-time and there’s a lot of despair in the stands. Gasperini makes the move as the crowd demands. Pasalic comes off, Lookman comes on. It seems the Italians were missing him, the Nigerian needs only a minute to reduce the difference and the Atalanta fans start shouting like never before. The referee’s whistle is not even heard 15 minutes later, when the hosts are awarded a penalty after the VAR intervention.
Angel earlier, Ademola Lookman executes poorly, to Mignolet’s left, and becomes a demon. Mignolet becomes the god of the Belgian fans who filled their sector to the brim. His name is chanted for minutes on end.
It was, in fact, the moment that poured lead into the boots of the players of the master Gasperini, who changes and moves everything. In vain, captain Toloi sticks into an opposing player, gets a red card and definitively condemns his colleagues.
It ends 1-3 (2-5 on aggregate) and the celebration begins in front of the Brugge fan sector.
Atalanta is collapsed, the dream of late spring nights in Munich has melted away.
Gear used: Sony A9ii + Sony 300 mm/2.8 & Sony A9 + Sony 85 mm/1.8
