Rome (AFP)

Where will Atalanta stop? Always so irresistible offensively, the club of Bergamo did not tremble at the time of discovering the 8th finals of the Champions League and can already think of the floor above after having beaten Valencia 4-1 Wednesday in the first leg In Milan.

It is therefore the provincial Bergamo who will once again awaken San Siro to Europe, while Inter Milan and AC Milan have not attended the European Top 16 since 2012 and 2014 respectively.

The Atalanta took over and there were more than 40,000, a third of the inhabitants of the city, to see the continuation of this incredible course, started by three defeats during the first three days of the group stage.

They attended a show to which they are finally used, but in a different environment, that of Serie A.

Because as in the Italian championship, of which it has by far the best attack, Atalanta has constantly played forward and for the goal.

She was rewarded with four goals, which give her a considerable advantage for the return match on March 10 in Mestalla.

The lateral Hateboer scored the first, on a good job of "Papu" Gomez (16th), and the last (62nd), coming to beat in one against one the Valencian goalkeeper Jaume Doménech.

- gifts from Bergamo -

In the meantime, the Italians had scored two class goals, signed Ilicic (42nd) with a violent strike from the right, and Freuler with a beautiful rolled up in the small net (57th).

In this Champions League, the first in Atalanta history, Gian Piero Gasperini's team scored 12 goals with 10 different players. At Atalanta, danger comes from everywhere, and it's not a formula.

The 4th in the Italian championship still has some weak points, and if Valencia still has some hopes before the return match, it is the generosity of the Bergamo defenders that it owes.

In trying to come out cleanly, Atalanta has indeed offered many opportunities to the current 7th in La Liga, who seized one. Barely entered, Cheryshev went to beat Gollini after a gift from Palomino (66th).

Valence was certainly handicapped by the absences, those of Garay and Gabriel Paulista in hinge, more that of Coquelin in the middle and that of Rodrigo Moreno in attack, but the score is heavy.

With this goal in San Siro, the Spaniards are not yet completely eliminated. But they know that in the return match, they will still have to face the Bergamas furia.

© 2020 AFP