Perugia's performance against Atalanta

PFDC - Perugia lost the chance to automatically qualify for next year's UEFA Cup today with a 2-1 loss to Atalanta in the Bergamo team's home ground, the Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium. With both teams having reached their seasonal target, which consisted in avoiding relegation, the game was played in a relaxed fashion, with a good rhythm of play.

Perugia sported its usual starting line-up that included Rahman Rezaei but excluded Ali Samereh and had the upper hand in the initial minutes of play, eventually crowning a superior ball possession by taking the lead with a goal by well-placed skipper Giacomo Tedesco at the 16th minute of play. Atalanta then started to search its first goal, which came after an unlucky deflection of Blasi into his own net at the end of the first half. Rezaei was out of the action that lead to Atalanta's equalizer.

The second half started with both teams attempting to score their second goal and the home crowd was repeatedly entertained by Atalanta striker Cristiano Doni, at his last home game with Atalanta before moving on to a more illustrious club, hitting the crossbar after a brilliant exchange that caught Rezaei and the rest of his defensive team mates off guard. Perugia's defense bore no guilt on Atalanta's second goal, which was crafted by Sergio Zauri scoring from 10 meters outside the Perugia box with a perfectly struck ball that went straight into the right corner of Perugia keeper Oscar Cordoba's goal half way through the second half. It was Zauri's first Serie A goal.

The result saw Atalanta reach a record number of points in a Serie A season, a feat that Perugia achieved as of last week. Perugia now is out of contention for a UEFA Cup spot, albeit there is still some chance that a victory next Sunday against already relegated Fiorentina in the last game of the season might yield an Intertoto Cup place for Rezaei and Samereh's team.

Rezaei's future appears uncertain as ever, as an interview of PLDC with the Zob Ahan chairman revealed the Esfahan club's influence over the PFDC Player of the Year's destination for next year. Samereh on the other hand looks likely to perform in another Italian or European club, as he has never managed to fit into the Perugia squad.

Match statistics and video clips will be available in this page

ATALANTA - PERUGIA 2-1 (1-1)

Serie A 2001-2002, Week 33rd
Bergamo
Sunday April 28th, 2002


Atalanta: Taibi 6, Paganin 6.5, Carrera 6.5, Sala 6 (46'Natali 7),
Foglio 6, D.Zenoni 6 (45'Bellini 6.5), Berretta 7, Zauri 7,
Doni 7, Pinardi 6.5 (73'Dabo 6), Rossini 6.
(Pinato, Orlandini, Saudati, Colombo).
CT: Vavassori.

Perugia: Cordoba 6, Rezaei 6, Di Loreto 6, Milanese 5, Ze Maria 6,
Tedesco 7 (24'Gatti 6.5), Blasi 6.5 (69'Berrettoni 5), Baiocco 6,
Grosso 6, Bazzani 5 (54'Fusani 5), Vryzas 5.5.
(Tardioli, Bisello, Samereh, Obodo).
CT: Cosmi.

Referee: Rodomonti.

Scorers: 15'Tedesco(P), 36'Berretta, 68'Zauri.

Corners: 7-5 Perugia.

Booked: Milanese(P), Di Loreto(P).

Attendance: 15000.