My Ultimate Gacha System-Chapter 274 - 264: Atalanta Vs Bologna (Coppa Italia) III
Semifinal - First Leg) II
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo
Halftime
The dressing room was not loud at halftime but it wasn’t relaxed either, and players sat where they dropped in with boots planted firmly and towels draped over shoulders while breathing slowly returned to normal after forty-five minutes of tactical chess.
Gasperini let the silence sit for a moment before speaking, and he stood near the tactical board with his arms crossed while players finished drinking water and physios moved between them checking for minor issues.
When he began his voice didn’t rise because the message didn’t require volume.
"Spacing first," Gasperini said while tapping the board where Bologna’s wide channels were marked in red. "Their winger—Orsolini—is finding joy drifting inside during transitions. He’s getting the ball in the channel behind Hateboer’s position and we’re giving him too much time to cut inside and shoot."
He pointed at the right side of the pitch diagram and his finger traced the movement pattern. "That lane closes earlier. Hateboer, you hold five yards deeper when we lose possession. De Roon, you track him if he starts running inside. Don’t let him receive the ball facing goal in that space."
His eyes shifted to Demien who was standing rather than sitting with his hands on his hips while listening.
"You—arrive later, not deeper," Gasperini said. "When attacks break down and we’re defending transitions, don’t drop all the way back. Stay between their midfield and defense. When we win the ball back, you’re already in position to receive. And don’t force the shot when it’s not clean—let the game bring it to you."
Demien nodded once and Gasperini turned back to address the entire room.
"They’re sitting compact and waiting for mistakes. We don’t give them mistakes. We circulate, we move them, and when the opening appears we take it. Second half, same discipline. Questions?"
Nobody spoke.
"Good. Hydrate, stretch, be ready."
Across the hall in Bologna’s dressing room the atmosphere was different as their coach’s voice carried through the concrete walls with more urgency, and tactical adjustments were being made with sharper edges because holding zero-zero away from home required different decisions than chasing a lead.
One of their first-half starters—Orsolini, the winger who had created their biggest chance with that early shot Musso saved—was being pulled, and a fresher body was being sent out with instructions that emphasized discipline over adventure because containment mattered more than ambition when protecting an aggregate scoreline across two legs.
Second Half
The teams returned to the tunnel and the noise swelled again as supporters finished returning to their seats, and the volume was louder than before because halftime had given the crowd time to reset their energy while anticipation built for what the second forty-five minutes would bring.
Atalanta came out first with their black and blue shirts unchanged, and Bologna followed wearing their red and blue with one visible difference as Emanuel Vignato replaced Orsolini on the left wing.
The broadcast cameras caught the substitution immediately and the commentators reacted.
"Bologna make their first change before the restart—Vignato on for Orsolini. That’s interesting. Orsolini was their most dangerous outlet in the first half but Vignato offers more defensive cover. Thiago Motta prioritizing control over attacking threat."
"First-leg management," his colleague agreed. "If you can get nil-nil away from home in a semifinal, you take it. The change suggests Bologna are happy to sit even deeper and make Atalanta chase the breakthrough."
***Fweeeeeetttttttt!!!!!***
46’ - 55’ |
Bologna began the second half sharper than they’d finished the first despite the substitution, and their pressing was higher and more aggressive as they tested Atalanta’s response to increased pressure.
In the forty-eighth minute Musso rolled the ball to Djimsiti who played it square to Demiral, and immediately Arnautovic pressed the Turkish defender aggressively while Zirkzee closed the passing lane back to Musso.
Demiral’s pass went to Tolói under pressure and the Brazilian defender’s first touch was slightly heavy, and Barrow closed quickly from his right-wing position to force Tolói into a hurried clearance that went long toward the halfway line.
Medel won the aerial duel and headed it down to Dominguez who controlled it with his chest before turning and driving forward, and a quick exchange through midfield opened space briefly as Dominguez played it right to Barrow who had continued his run.
Barrow’s first touch took him inside away from Mæhle’s challenge and his second touch set up the shot from twenty yards, and the strike was driven low toward the near post with power and decent accuracy.
Musso got down cleanly and gathered the ball at the second attempt while his body smothered any potential rebound, and the save drew a sharp burst of noise from the home crowd—encouragement rather than relief because the shot hadn’t truly threatened.
**56’ - 61’ | Settling the Tempo**
Atalanta didn’t rush their response and instead deliberately slowed the next sequence as Musso took his time before distributing the ball to Tolói, and the circulation that followed was patient and measured.
The ball moved from right to left across Atalanta’s defensive third as Tolói played it to Djimsiti who passed it to Demiral before the Turkish defender’s ball went square to Mæhle on the left side.
Mæhle took two touches before playing it forward to Lookman who had dropped deep to receive, and the English winger’s pass went inside to Koopmeiners who was positioned centrally fifteen yards inside Atalanta’s half.
Koopmeiners controlled it and immediately looked forward where Demien had positioned himself between Bologna’s midfield and defensive lines, and the pass came vertically but Medel stepped across to cut it off before it could reach its target.
The ball fell to Dominguez who turned quickly and attempted to launch a counter, but De Roon was already closing and forced the Argentine midfielder into a hurried pass that was intercepted by Tolói.
Tolói’s clearance went back to Musso and the tempo reset as the goalkeeper took his time before rolling the ball back into play, and gradually Atalanta’s control reasserted itself through patient circulation that forced Bologna to chase without creating clear openings for counters.
62’ - 67’ |
By the sixty-second minute the pattern had shifted as Atalanta began winning second balls consistently, and Bologna’s midfield started sinking deeper rather than pressing high because their energy from the opening minutes of the half was fading.
In the sixty-fourth minute Hateboer won a header in midfield and the ball fell to De Roon who played it immediately to Koopmeiners, and the Dutch midfielder’s pass went wide to Malinovskyi on the right wing.
Malinovskyi drove forward five yards before cutting inside and playing the ball to Demien who had checked toward him offering support, and Demien’s first touch took him away from Medel’s challenge before his second touch played it back to Koopmeiners.
The circulation continued without forcing penetration but the territory was clearly Atalanta’s now, and Bologna’s defensive line was being pushed deeper while their midfield hesitated between stepping out to press or holding their positions to maintain compactness.
That hesitation created the gap that Atalanta needed.
68’ |
The sequence began when Bologna cleared a cross from Lookman, and the ball was headed out by Lucumí but only as far as the edge of the penalty area where no Bologna midfielder had tracked the second ball.
Demien arrived late from his advanced position and he was completely untracked because Medel had been drawn toward Koopmeiners and Dominguez was still recovering from the initial defensive action, and suddenly eighteen yards from goal he had time and space that hadn’t existed all match.
The clearance dropped to him and his first touch set the ball perfectly for his right foot while Bologna’s defenders scrambled to close the space, and Posch stepped out from the defensive line but his movement was cautious rather than aggressive because stepping too far would leave space behind him for Højlund to exploit.
That half-second of hesitation was enough.
Demien’s second touch was the strike itself and it came cleanly from twenty yards, and the ball stayed low while skidding across the turf with pace and accuracy toward the far corner where Skorupski was positioned slightly off his line.
「TRAIT ACTIVATED」
「Long Shot Taker」
The Polish goalkeeper reacted and dove desperately to his right, but his positioning had been too central and his fingertips brushed nothing as the ball passed inside the post and rippled the side netting.
ATALANTA 1-0 BOLOGNA
The stadium exploded with noise that crashed down from all sides as twenty-three thousand supporters jumped to their feet while flags waved across every section, and the roar was deafening and sustained while Demien turned away from the goal.
He didn’t sprint to the corner flag or slide on his knees, and instead he clapped once before jogging back toward the center circle while his expression stayed controlled rather than euphoric.
