Atalanta clinched a dramatic 1–0 win away to Olympique de Marseille thanks to a late strike from Lazar Samardžić. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mason Greenwood led a high-pressing start for Marseille, but fatigue and missed chances proved costly as Gian Piero Gasperini’s side grew into the match.
Israel Schmidt de Azevedo breaks down how tactical adjustments helped Atalanta take control and seal the win in the closing stages.
Olympique de Marseille began the match with a high defensive line and intense pressure on Atalanta’s defenders. Aubameyang led the press, closing down the back line, while Greenwood and Igor Paixão advanced from their wing-back positions to act as side attackers. Both defensive midfielders stepped higher into central positions between the middle and attacking thirds. The full-backs also advanced, leaving three centre-backs near the centre circle to build play.
Atalanta struggled to play through this early pressure and experimented with two different setups to escape it. In the first, one centre-back drifted wide to function as a right-back, leaving two in the middle, while Zappacosta pushed across as a makeshift left-back. Despite the adjustments, Marseille’s pressing was effective in restricting space, even if they could not convert their dominance into clear attacking chances.
Éderson and Marten de Roon often dropped close to the defence to help Atalanta progress the ball. Bellanova pushed high on the right, offering a quick counter-attacking outlet. Further forward, Lookman and De Ketelaere stretched the pitch as wide attackers, supporting Krstović up front.
In Atalanta’s second structure, the three centre-backs remained compact inside the penalty area, with Zappacosta and Bellanova acting as traditional full-backs.
As the first half progressed, Marseille’s physical intensity began to fade. Maintaining such an aggressive press proved difficult, allowing Atalanta more time on the ball and the chance to push higher.
When pressing, Atalanta created a front five, with the centre-forward leading the line and two second-attackers pressing the flanks. Behind them, both central midfielders stepped up to form a second wave of pressure, compressing space in the middle third. The wing-backs stayed narrow while the outer centre-backs supported from just behind.
Marseille tried to escape by spreading their back line, pushing the full-backs high as wingers, and keeping both defensive midfielders close to the defence to help circulate the ball. Greenwood drifted inside to act as a right-sided forward, while Igor Paixão advanced from wing-back into a wide midfield position on the left.
In the 12th minute, the plan broke down. Goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli’s attempted clearance went straight to an Atalanta defender, who headed the ball forward to Lookman. He slipped a clever pass between the centre-backs for Krstović, who touched the ball past Rulli and was brought down. A penalty was awarded.
In the 14th minute, De Ketelaere stepped up but struck his effort weakly into the corner, allowing Rulli to save comfortably and keep the score level.
In the 18th minute, Greenwood’s curling free kick from the corner of the area flashed just wide of the post.
When defending, Atalanta dropped their wing-backs into full-back roles slightly ahead of the three centre-backs. De Roon and Éderson sat deep to shield the defence, while Lookman and De Ketelaere retreated from their attacking positions to form a compact midfield line. Krstović remained the outlet in front.
Marseille sought to break through by pushing Aubameyang between the centre-backs, with Greenwood and Igor Paixão joining him as secondary forwards. The full-backs advanced to form a line of five, while both defensive midfielders sat just behind to connect play. The central centre-back held position in the attacking half as both side centre-backs spread wide to protect against counters.
In the 22nd minute, Murillo passed to O’Riley, who found Højbjerg between the lines. The Dane threaded a brilliant through ball to Aubameyang, who turned and shot under pressure. His effort, however, was tipped over by the goalkeeper.
In the 31st minute, Marseille broke through on the counter. Greenwood beat two defenders and cut inside before laying the ball to Højbjerg, unmarked in the middle. The midfielder’s shot flew well wide, wasting a golden chance.
Three minutes later, Krstović intercepted in midfield and fed Lookman on the run. His cross deflected into Krstović’s path, but his powerful shot cleared the crossbar.
In possession, Atalanta frequently shifted their attacking shape. Lookman held width on the left, while Éderson occasionally rotated with De Ketelaere, moving higher and wide. When this occurred, De Ketelaere dropped deeper beside Bellanova. Ahanor advanced from the left centre-back role into midfield, with De Roon anchoring behind. Both full-backs provided width and support, while the centre-backs stayed deep to guard against Marseille’s counters.
Early in the second half, Atalanta nearly broke through. Zappacosta cut inside from the left and crossed perfectly for Bellanova, who headed down but missed the target.
In the 69th minute, Atalanta countered quickly as Krstović released De Ketelaere, who found Bellanova on the overlap. His low cross ran through the box to Lookman, who finished into the net, but the goal was ruled out by VAR for offside.
In the 87th minute, Atalanta nearly gifted Marseille a goal. Goalkeeper Carnesecchi played a careless pass towards Éderson, who failed to react. Marseille intercepted, and Aubameyang attempted a placed shot, but his curling effort stayed too central and drifted just high.
Two minutes later came the decisive moment. A Marseille cross ricocheted high off Éderson’s awkward control, prompting penalty appeals that the referee waved away. As several Marseille players stopped to protest, Atalanta launched a rapid counter-attack. Samardžić carried the ball forward, drifted inside and unleashed a brilliant strike into the top corner to win it 1–0 in the dying moments.
It was a cruel end for Marseille after their early energy and pressure. Atalanta overcame a slow start, a missed penalty, and a disallowed goal to find the breakthrough when it mattered. Off the pitch, tension flared as Lookman argued with Gasperini after being substituted, leaving supporters questioning how this dynamic will unfold in the weeks ahead.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Israel Schmidt de Azevedo
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