Gianluca Scamacca demonstrated that he is not intimidated by Atalanta's internal pressure, responding vigorously to the confrontation with Montenegrin midfielder Nikola Krstovic. After a weekend spent on the bench observing the Venezia player who had scored a brace against Pafos, Scamacca returned to the field as a starter in the Champions League and showed a performance that kept the debate on his choice of starting shirt open.
In the match against Pafos, Krstovic had already shown his propensity to score, but Scamacca responded by highlighting his ability to create spaces and communicate with his teammates. In particular, just 50 seconds after the restart, the ball was passed to him from the right by Raspadori, but his tactical intelligence allowed him to attract the defenders and read the insertion of Elmas behind him, thus freeing the Macedonian with a spectacular technical gesture that led to the goal. Just before half-time, Scamacca demonstrated that he is a player who knows how to read the game, fitting perfectly into the Cypriot rearguard and ending the evening with a decisive goal.
The result kept the ballot open for the starting shirt, especially in view of the next match against Milan at San Siro. Maurizio Sarri, Atalanta coach, will only have three days to decide which of the two attackers, Scamacca or Krstovic, will be chosen for Sunday's match. Atalanta can instead smile, since both resources are precious and different, but both can contribute to the team's success.
The match between Scamacca and Krstovic has been described as a "ballot" that, according to the Italian striker, "all coaches would like". Scamacca's performance demonstrated his ability to play as a team and create opportunities for his teammates, while Krstovic demonstrated that he is an attacker with a strong eye for goal. In any case, the final choice will depend on the needs of the team and Sarri's strategy for the next match.