Sassuolo-Atalanta 1-0: goals from Laurienté, Maehle and Muriel sent off

by our correspondent Luca Taidelli

February 4th
– REGGIO EMILIA

A Lookman magic by Laurienté condemns Atalanta on the very first night in which Gasperini’s top scorer betrays and Maehle gets expelled on the half hour in an episode that will cause discussion. Sassuolo is celebrating, which after the five points against Milan brings home another heavy scalp and leaves the relegation zone in which it had fallen after a disastrous start to 2023. The Goddess loses an opportunity to remain in the top 4 but if it will recover with the same hunger shown in the Mapei Stadium finale will be able to have its say until June.

FIRST HALF

—

Dionisi prefers Tressoldi to Ferrari and immediately launches Zortea, who has just arrived from Bergamo. With Frattesi and Obiang, Henrique is in the midfield while Berardi, Defrel and Laurientè do not touch in front. Gasp responds with the team of the last league outings, but without the former Boga, to which Ederson, attacking midfielder behind Lookman and Hojlund, initially on the bench on Tuesday in the Coppa Italia defeat against Inter, is preferred. One returning from the five to Milan the other from 17 goals in five league outings of the new year, the two teams instead start buttoned up, with De Roon diverted to the center left to stem Frattesi and the defenses very careful not to give the field to the opposing attackers . While Laurentiè and Lookman end up in a cage on the outside and Hojlund slams against Erlic and Tressoldi, Defrel could unlock the match in the 7th minute but Musso surpasses himself, while Berardi moves across the pitch and in the half hour marks the first turning point in the evening by expelling Maehle (with the complicity of the Var), with Gasperini forced to insert Ruggeri for an Ederson who was still looking for a position between the lines. The last third of the half, however, sees the hosts only raise their center of gravity, without creating real goal chances.

SECOND HALF

—

The time to register the entrances of Marchizza and Boga for the dull Rogerio and Lookman that the match uncorks thanks to a feat by Laurientè, who from the left corner of the area leaves Hateboer in place and sends the ball into the corner pocket with a big right. The Goddess is now forced to dare despite the man down and she deludes herself about the punishment of Koopmeiners. Zapata and Pasalic enter for Hojlund and Hateboer, with Boga who goes full range in the 3-4-1-1 designed by Gasp. Bajrami takes over Henrique and only a great recovery by Scalvini denies him the joy of 2-0. For Ruggeri, Muriel definitively marks the Nerazzurri’s assault on the caravan, with the hosts who lower themselves too much and above all never find a way to exploit the prairies in the restart. And when they succeed, Bajrami fires on Musso. Good for Dionisi who in the final Zapata heads high, hampered by… Pasalic. In the last minute of added time, Muriel is also kicked out for one too many words towards the referee Marcenaro.