TORINO – A beautiful Inter beats Atalanta 2-0 in Bergamo in a sort of playoff for the square of honor and closes the 2019-20 championship in second place, just one point behind Juventus champion. Conte’s lineup secured success in the first 20 minutes, while Gasperini’s boys missed the goal of 100 goals this season: they stopped at 98. Pioli’s Milan destroyed 3-0 Cagliari’s Zenga, officially destined to leave the bench of the Sardinians, according to the words of President Giulini tonight. The match in Naples was more hard fought, where the hosts won 3-1 over Lazio, who consoles himself with Immobile’s record, which equals Higuain’s 36 goals in 2016. Atalanta is third in the standings ahead of Lazio, in virtues of direct confrontations.
Serie A, results and standings
Atalanta-Inter 0-2
At Gewiss Stadium Atalanta takes sides with Pasalic behind Zapata and Gómez while in Inter Srkiniar and Eriksen they leave once again from the bench: in front there is the LuLa tandem, formed by Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez. The formation of Conte starts strong, going in goal already at 1 ‘on a corner kick: Young beats short for Lautaro, cross in the middle, Gollini fails and D’Ambrosio supports in the head net, undisturbed. The home goalkeeper probably rests his foot badly and hurts himself by colliding with Gosens: so, after less than five minutes, he is replaced by Sportiello. Atalanta tries to strike up some offensive action, but it is Inter that doubles in the 20 ‘: the choral action is splendid, starting from Handanovic’s feet and concluded by a precise shot by Young from 20 meters. Then Lautaro Martinez tries with a lob from midfield, but Sportiello is careful. Before the break, Atalanta tries to sting with Pasalic, Zapata and Gomez, without however undermining the Inter defense. At the start of recovery Barella has the opportunity to definitively close the accounts, but he shoots very high. Then it is Gomez who worries Handanovic, who however is careful about the insidious conclusion of the atalantino. The formation of Gasperini seems to be the faded copy of the spectacular team seen in recent weeks, so Inter manage the second half effortlessly. In the 81st minute a goal by Sanchez was canceled for offside. Atalanta’s first real chance is on Gosens’ feet, a little later, but the lob on Handanovic goes off a little to the side. Inter wins 2-0 and is second.
Atalanta-Inter, match report and statistics
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Milan-Cagliari 3-0
At Meazza, against ex-Inter Zenga’s Cagliari, Pioli’s Milan relies on the eternal Ibrahimovic forward, with Leao replacing the disqualified Rebic in the trio behind him. The Sardinians respond with a 3-5-1-1, with Pereiro behind Simeone, Pavoletti is on the bench. AC Milan took the lead in the 11th minute with an own goal from Klavan: Leao’s diagonal who took the post and was then deflected into his own door by the 34-year-old Estonian defender of Cagliari. The Rossoneri did not stop and almost doubled with Castillejo, Ibrahimovic and Leao, who hit the crossbar. At 43 ‘Walukiewicz touches the hand in the area on a header from Ibra, who, however, is blocked by Cragno the resulting penalty. The pride of the old Swedish lion is however too great to let the shame pass and so, at 55 ‘, he signs the doubling: Ibrahimovic overcomes Cragno with a fireball under the intersection of the poles. AC Milan plays on velvet and signs the trio in the 57th minute with a shot by Castillejo, on an assist from Bonaventura. The match is without history: Zenga, right in the stadium that has been his for many years, greets the Cagliari bench. Before the match, President Giulini announced that the former Spider-Man will no longer be the coach of the Sardinians in the next season.
Milan-Cagliari, match report and statistics
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Napoli-Lazio 3-1
In the match of San Paolo Gattuso launches a Napoli with Manolas alongside Koulibaly and Fabian Ruiz again owner, in Lazio the news is Marusic on the left wing while Correa is in support of Immobile in attack. Just Fabian Ruiz unlocks the game in the 9th minute at the end of a good action by Napoli: the Spaniard explodes his left from distance, slightly deflected by Luiz Felipe and only touched by the Biancoceleste goalkeeper Strakosha. Insigne missed the doubling in the 13th minute and then Lazio equalized with Immobile in the 22nd minute: Marusic crossed for the striker from Torre Annunziata, who slipped into the net. With this goal Immobile equals the record of 36 goals scored by Higuain of 2015-16 (the historical maximum for a top scorer in the Serie A with single group), right in the stadium that was the home of the Argentine attacker in that extraordinary season. In the first half you can also see a little rain that does not reduce the heat of the San Paolo much. The recovery begins with a penalty for Napoli, for a foul by Parolo, on a slip, on Mertens: Insigne, from eleven meters, displaces Strakosha and brings Gattuso’s boys forward to 54 ‘. Lazio is not there and becomes dangerous with Correa, who hits the post in the 56th minute. The same Argentine striker shoots on Ospina out in the 62nd minute. Napoli then signs the trio with Politano at 92 ‘, closing the accounts in a nervous final that sees Gattuso hurl himself against the Lazio bench. Of note, in Naples, the injury of Insigne, who is at risk for the Champions League match against Barcelona.
Napoli-Lazio, match report and statistics
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