Four days before facing OM in the semi-final first leg of the Europa League at the Vélodrome, Atalanta won their Serie A match against Empoli (2-0) on Sunday, thanks in particular to one of their jokers offensive players, Ademola Lookman.
Atalanta is a clear favorite in its Europa League semi-final against OM, a mid-table team in Ligue 1. Four days before the first leg at the Vélodrome, the Bergamo team won against Empoli (2- 0), Sunday for the 34th day of Serie A. La Dea returns to two points from the 5th qualifying place for the Champions League, occupied by AS Roma, who shared the points with Napoli earlier ( 2-2).
Strategist Gian Piero Gasperini was able to spare his attacking trio, since Gianluca Scamacca, Teun Koopmeiners and Charles De Ketelaere, the team’s three top scorers (respectively 15, 14 and 11 goals), did not start the game. The Bergamasques center forward, Scamacca, did not even come into play.
Lookman sees everything
Ademola Lookman took the opportunity to shine. The Nigerian crack thus started alongside Aleksey Miranchuk in support of the former Rémois El Bilal Touré and scored the goal of the break of an individual action (51st), for his 11th achievement of the season. If he does not start against the Phocaeans, the former English international hopefuls makes a very high level offensive joker. Before half-time, it was Mario Pasalic who opened the scoring from the penalty spot (42nd) for a foul on Touré.
To protect goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi (who is replaced by Juan Musso in the European Cup), the three-way defense was very reassuring, including an intractable Berat Djimsiti in front of M’Baye Niang. Empoli, however, is only 17th and first non-relegation place in the Italian championship. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s OM seem more dangerous, but are in no way a better team than Atalanta.
