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November 06, 2019The first historic point of Atalanta in the Champions League arrives. Gasperini's boys, in fact, in a crazy game with two faces, stop Manchester City at Meazza: 1-1. In the other round of Group C, another 'crazy' result in Zagreb between Partizan and Shakthar Donetsk: 3-3 with the equal of the Ukrainians on penalty at 98 minutes !. The City of Guardiola a step away from qualifying and the first place with 10 points, to chase the British there are Croats and Ukrainians at 5, close the Bergamo stopped at an altitude. Very, very complicated qualification, but it is not yet the last word: the Goddess has to win both the next games in the second round and hope that the City will make at least one point with both Dinamo and Shakthar.

Gasperini focuses on the Ilicic-Gomez pair and leaves Muriel on the bench, Guardiola saves Aguero (Sunday is the big-match with Liverpool in the Premier) and relies on an attack on Gabriel Jesus, supported by Sterling, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Mahrez. Atalanta with 3-5-2: Gollini; Toloi, Djimsiti, Palomino; Hateboer, Freuler, De Roon, Castagne, Pasalic; Gomez, Ilicic. Manchester City with 4-1-2-3: Ederson; Cancelo, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Mendy; Gundogan; Mahrez, De Bruyne; Bernando Silva, Sterling, Gabriel Jesus. The first lightning is dell'Atalanta at 4 ': cross from the left of Castagne, Hateboer ends on the fly with the platter, high. City took the lead in the 7th minute with an action of the first: Bernardo Silva served Gabriel Jesus in the area who set Sterling free. The striker of Jamaican descent, who had already 'sunk' the Atalanta with a hat-trick in the first leg, with a precise low shot from the right beats Gollini on the way out. City in absolute control, the Bergamo players struggle to find countermeasures at the speed of the Manchester games. At 30 'Hateboer slipped "immolates" to stop the usual Sterling a stone's throw from the goal line. On a shot from the edge of Mahrez Gollini is good at diving (35 '). At 39 'Toloi foul on the wild Sterling, for the Belarussian referee Kulbakov is penalty and yellow card, then on the Var signal becomes a free kick from the edge because the foul is out of area. Sterling's punishment ends up on the barrier and the Var signals a possible hand ball by Ilicic into the barrier. The race director goes to review the images and opts for the penalty (42 '). From the spot goes Gabriel Jesus who kicks weakly to the side. The many atalantini fans present in the stands of the Meazza stadium rejoice like a goal. In the final part of time Ilicic's great shot from a distance on a free kick ends up over the crossbar.

The second half starts with the change in goal in Manchester City: Claudio Bravo is in place of Ederson. At 49 'Pasalic's beautiful filtering ball for Ilicic who, however, does not stop very well from the chest and then is anticipated by a defender. On the developments of the action, however, the ball went to the left to the 'papu' Gomez, who is very free in the Pasalic area, perfect for the Croatian midfielder's header: it is 1-1 (49 '). After the tie, a much more balanced match. Chances on one side and on the other, Bergamo close to the encore on the 62nd: corner kick from the right of Gomez, Djimsiti jumps higher than everyone else and heads out on the opposite pole, ball out a little. At 74 'Guardiola also fielded the' kun 'Aguero (outside Gabriel Jesus). Sterling practically by itself keeps the entire Nerazzurri defense anxious, at least on the other hand the Bergamo players at least in the second half manage to sting, especially on set pieces. In the final City in ten men for the expulsion of the second goalkeeper Claudio Bravo that out of the area touches Ilicic launched on the break (81 '). After the confirmation of the red by the Var here are the first substitutions of Gasperini (in Malinovskyi for Freuler at 84 ') and of Guardiola who finds himself without a goalkeeper and lets in the defender Walker (outside Mahrez at 88'). Walker himself manages to block Malinovskyi's punishment in two stages. In the final Gasp throws in the fray also Muriel (out chestnuts in the 92 '), but the British manage to keep possession in attack and pass the very long recovery (8 minutes). Ends 1-1.