Atalanta defeated Cagliari 2-1 at the Stadio Sant’Elia in Serie A action on Sunday afternoon.
Goals from Marcelo Estigarribia and Richmond Boakye were enough to hold off the Isolani who cut into the lead thanks to an Andrea Cossu penalty.
The win sees the Dea jump to four points on the season, while the Isolani were made to wait another week for their first win under new boss Zdenek Zeman.
Do you agree or disagree with our ratings? Have your say in the comments below.
Cagliari
Simone Colombi – 6 – Unlucky
Could do nothing on both goals and was only really called into action in the 91st minute when he made a save on Denis.
Antonio Balzano – 5 – Overwhelmed
Was left wanting for pace in his battle with Drame. Was caught out on Atalanta’s first goal.
Luca Rossettini – 5.5 – Battered
Struggled to contain Boakye and could have done more to disrupt the cross on the Dea’s first goal.
Luca Ceppitelli – 5.5 – Disattentive
Limited Denis throughout the match but was caught out like the rest of his teammates on the first goal.
Danilo Avelar – 5.5 – One-way
A troublesome customer moving forward and the complete opposite in defence. The perfect Zdenek Zeman player.
Lorenzo Crisetig – 5 – Distracted
Created little in attack and could not find his way against the Dea. Rightly cautioned and taken off in the second half.
Daniele Conti – 6 – Commanding
Cagliari’s best midfield player on the day. Commanding presence and undeserving of defeat on the day.
Albin Ekdal – 5 – Missing
An off day for the Swede as he offered little in attack and contributed little in defence.
Farias – 6 – Frenetic
Worked hard in attack as he constantly made his way around the pitch in search of space. Despite his efforts, failed to deliver when given the chance.
Marco Sau – 5 – Denied
Unlucky to have been kept off the scoresheet after Biava saved his shot on the goalline, but should have done better when presented with the chance to equalize.
Andrea Cossu – 5 – Lost
Scored the goal that reopened the match but was never able to breakaway from the defensive line setup by Colantuono.
Substitutes
Joao Pedro – 5 – Unseen
Came on in the second half but failed to sway the match in Cagliari’s direction.
Victor Ibarbo – 6.5 – Impactful
Came on in the second half and instantly changed the match. Won the penalty that cut the deficit in half and likely secured himself a starting spot next week.
Daniele Dossena – 5 – Unsuccessful
Came on and was quiet before being hypnotized by Sportiello when presented with the opportunity to equalize.
Atalanta
Marco Sportiello – 7 – Protagonist
Key in the Nerazzurri’s away win as he made several key saves to deny the Isolani. Could do nothing on Cossu’s penalty. Should he be expecting a phone call from Antonio Conte in the near future?
Davide Zappacosta – 6 – Composed
Kept his head despite having to deal with Sau and Avelar. A steady, if unspectacular, performance.
Giuseppe Biava – 7 – Decisive
Made a goalline clearance that saved the result for the Dea. Never made a mistake and never placed a wrong foot anywhere.
Yohan Benalouane – 6 – Precise
Like his defensive partner, little fault can be found in his performance. If he and Biava can keep this type of form up then Atalanta will have no problems securing safety early this season.
Boukary Drame – 6.5 – Tireless
Ran up and down the left flank and caused problems for Cagliari all match. A tireless performance from the former Chievo man. Should be looked at more closely by some of Serie A’s bigger clubs.
Marco D’Alessandro – 6 – Exuberant
A solid performance that was littered with tackles and fouls. Must find a way to better contain his energy. Rightly subbed off in the second half while on a yellow card.
Carlos Carmona – 6 – Involved
Worked in the shadows and did the dirty work needed by a holding midfielder. Combined perfectly with Cigarini and was key to the Nerazzurri’s cause.
Marcelo Estigarribia – 6.5 – Nuisance
Scored a great goal to give his side the early lead. Wasn’t able to dominate the wing but still managed to make life difficult for the home side.
Luca Cigarini – 6.5 – Needed
Used his experience and precise passing to boss the match from the midfield. Necessary to Atalanta’s cause when Cagliari were charging in the second half.
German Denis – 6 – Wanting
Hasn’t reached his peak form yet and showed. Still key in holding up the play and laying off passes to his teammates. A key cog in Stefano Colantuono’s plans.
Richmond Boakye – 7- Match winner
Perfect partner to Denis as his pace and guile match perfectly with the Argentine. Lively and well deserving of taking home the match ball after a great strike, his first with the club.
Substitutes
Cristian Raimondi – 6 – Needed
Energetic and brought a needed boost to the cause in the second half as the Dea looked to hold off the home side.
Nicolo Cherubin – 5 – Troublesome
Tough debut as Ibarbo made life difficult for him. His foul led to the Isolani’s penalty, making the end to the match a worrisome one for the away side.
Daniele Baselli – No rating
Came on and did his due diligence.
