Atalanta coach Stefano Colantuono
If they had not started the campaign on minus six points for their part in a match-fixing scandal, newly-promoted Atalanta would have been top of Serie A. Now anybody that tells you that they expected this sort of start from La Dea are telling porky pies!
Coach Stefano Colantuono has overseen an unthinkable beginning from a club with a lower than modest wage bill – a beginning which sees them currently 14th in the table with four points when they could so easily be dining at the summit with ten points to their name.
Atalanta’s latest success came at the expense of fellow top-flight new boys Novara.
Matias Schelotto and Luca Cigarini scored the all-important goals for the home side, while Novara’s solitary reply came one minute from time courtesy of Filippo Porcari.
It does beg the question; can the Bergamo-based outfit carry on this fast-paced start to the campaign? In short, no. A famous last word perhaps, but coach Colantuono will be the first to confess that his squad is light on numbers, although he might not take too kindly to the claims that they are overachieving.
We shall see.
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From the lesser-known Atalanta, to the over familiar Inter Milan. Bad news I’m afraid for all those who applied for the vacant coaching role at the San Siro following the hasty sacking of Gian Piero Gasperini.
That position has now been filled by everybody’s favourite ‘Tinkerman’ Claudio Ranieri. However, don’t be too downhearted, the window of opportunity will almost certainly reopen before the end of the season.
That’s a little cynical you cry. After all he got his stint as Inter coach off to a 3-1 winning start at Bologna didn’t he?
Yes he did, but it was hardly the most convincing of victories, requiring the 81st minute dismissal of Archimede Morleo before they could break the 1-1 deadlock.
And let’s not forget this is the same Mr Ranieri who has managed six Serie A clubs (Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Parma, Juventus and AS Roma in case you were wondering) and has just one Suppa Coppa Italia success to show for it.
Hardly the bulging medal collection that the Nerazzurri top job demands and it’s doubtful that AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri is losing any sleep over his appointment.
For the record, Inter grabbed the victory in Bologna thanks to goals from Giampaolo Pazzini, Diego Milito and Brazilian centre-back Lucio.
In reply, former West Ham United striker Alessandro Diamanti scored from the spot.
OTHER SCORES
Cagliari 0-0 Udinese; Catania 1-1 Juventus; Chievo 2-1 Genoa; Lazio 0-0 Palermo; Milan 1-0 Cesena; Napoli 0-0 Fiorentina; Parma 0-1 Roma; Siena 3-0 Lecce.