Juventus closes in style, but the big news of the evening is another. In fact, Atalanta's feat deserves all the spotlights it deserves, just as befits those who write history. And Gasperini's team wrote it, and how they wrote it: qualifying for the round of XNUMX of the Champions League is something that will remain forever, especially after a start to the group that foreshadowed completely different scenarios.
The first three games ended without points and with only 2 goals scored, against 11 (!) conceded: thinking of staying in the running even for the Europa League was frankly too much, even for the most optimistic. But Gasperini, who has been accustomed to miracles for years, made another one, undoubtedly the greatest of his career, even managing to qualify for the second round of the Champions League. A comeback born by stopping City (when it hadn't passed yet), winning with Dinamo and, above all, yesterday in Kharkiv, at the expense of a Shakhtar much more accustomed to certain stages and yet outclassed from every point of view.
The Ukrainians made the mistake of thinking more about the result in Zagreb than theirs, trying to win only in the short period in which the Croatians were ahead of City, then, after the poker of the English, they preferred to manage the 0- 0, a result that, if completed, would have been worth the passage to the round of 66. But surrendering to Atalanta, as everyone in Italy has learned by now, is the silliest thing one can do and in fact, once she took control of the match, she was the one to win it, scoring first with Castagne (80'), then with Pasalic (94'), finally with Gosens (XNUMX'), for a trio that literally sent Bergamo into ecstasy, who took to the streets to celebrate its heroes until late at night.
“It is a great result, we felt the possibility of making history: when these opportunities happen to you, you have to try to exploit them and we succeeded – Gasperini commented enthusiastically. – We are happy for all of Bergamo, for all of Atalanta and also for all of Italian football. We gained international credibility, we did it against a strong team and I have to say it was a very balanced group”.
Juventus then took care of completing the great Wednesday of blue football, winning in Leverkusen despite a qualification that had already been in the safe for some time. At stake, at least for the black and whites, there was nothing but the desire to smile again after the defeat in Rome, as well as to see some players at work that have so far been little used. This is the case above all for the defenders, given that the Demiral-Rugani duo had never seen each other before, but also for De Sciglio and Rabiot: well, apart from the Frenchman (his performance is now a coincidence), the others responded presently to the call from Sarri, above all the former defender of Sassuolo, author of a convincing test.
However, the forwards made the difference and here too the coach can return to Turin satisfied. Ronaldo, beyond the goal with which he unlocked the game (75 '), confirmed that athletic growth already glimpsed in Rome, Higuain stamped the card with a nice left foot (92'), Dybala reiterated, if there are still any were it necessary, how his genius is absolutely essential, especially for a coach who seeks a good game almost like points.
In fact, it cannot be a coincidence that Juve's goals came after his entry in place of the spent Bernardeschi, and if it is true that the "heavy trident" can be risky in "real" matches, so is its obvious effectiveness, even more so in the international arena where quality and class often prevail over local tactics.
“I don't know if we'll be able to see them together from the start, I waited for the right conditions here – glossed over Sarri. – It was a dangerous match in terms of motivation, being already qualified, however the team played a good game in terms of application, even if with a few too many technical errors. Now we can think about the draw, there are sixteen teams left so there is the best of Europe and anyone who touches you is of great importance: having said that, I think everyone wants to avoid Real Madrid…”.
Yes, because the biggest bogeyman in the runners-up urn is Zidane's team, followed by Lampard's Chelsea and Mourinho's Tottenham: much better to take one between Lyon and Borussia Dortmund, teams with which the Lady would start as a clear favourite. On the other hand, Atalanta will not be able to make many calculations, which apart from Valencia and Leipzig can find Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and PSG. But perhaps, having reached this point, the Goddess really dreams of a giant of world football, to try to pull off yet another miracle in this incredible Gasperini cycle.
