Atalanta vs Arezzo

Arezzo started with breathtaking speed. Francesco Arena opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, cutting inside from the left and curling a left-footed shot past Marco Carnesecchi from the edge of the box. Five minutes later, Federico Illanes doubled the lead, heading home from a corner to leave Atalanta's experimental first-half XI stunned.

Sarri made six changes at the break, introducing Sportiello, Zappacosta, Ahanor, Vavassori and Krstović, and the tactical reshuffle brought immediate dividends.

Ibrahim Sulemana pulled one back four minutes into the second half (49'), collecting a backheel assist from Krstović before smashing a right-footed shot that struck the inside of the post and went in. The 22-year-old Ghanaian midfielder had only been on the pitch since the 40th minute, replacing Nicola Zalewski.

Ederson levelled in the 64th minute, meeting a Daniel Maldini cross with a composed finish — his first minutes of pre-season after returning from international duty following the World Cup. Maldini again provided the delivery six minutes later, and Nikola Krstović completed the turnaround in the 71st minute with a header from a corner.

Sarri's half-time overhaul was the decisive moment. The first-half XI — a 4-3-3 featuring Gianluca Scamacca, Giacomo Raspadori and Lazar Samardžić — had been unable to cope with Arezzo's directness and intensity. The introduction of Krstović's physical presence, Ederson's midfield drive and Maldini's creativity on the flank transformed the dynamic. All three second-half goals involved substitutes, and the switch from a passive first-half shape to a higher-tempo, more aggressive press left Arezzo unable to hold on.

Nikola Krstović (Atalanta) — Player of the Match The Montenegrin striker scored the winner with a 71st-minute header and provided the backheel assist for Sulemana's opener. His physical hold-up play changed the game after half-time.

Ibrahim Sulemana (Atalanta) Introduced as a first-half injury replacement for Zalewski (40'), Sulemana scored the crucial first goal that sparked the comeback. His energy and driving runs from midfield unsettled Arezzo's defence.

Ederson (Atalanta) The Brazilian midfielder, back from international duty, scored the equaliser and provided the midfield control that was missing in the first half. His 64th-minute goal was his first action of pre-season.

Daniel Maldini (Atalanta) Two assists in 28 minutes — both crosses, one for Ederson's equaliser and one for Krstović's winner. A strong audition for a starting role in Sarri's system.

Atalanta finished with 8 corners to Arezzo's 5, a reflection of their second-half dominance. The split is instructive: Arezzo's two goals came from their only two meaningful first-half attacks — a 2nd-minute individual effort from Arena and a 7th-minute set-piece header from Illanes. Atalanta generated little before half-time, but the second-half personnel changes — particularly Krstović for Scamacca and Maldini for Raspadori — created an entirely different attacking profile. The 4-3-3 shape remained constant, but the execution shifted dramatically.

Atalanta closed the first phase of their pre-season with a 2-1 record (wins over Mantova and Arezzo). Sarri's tactical shift to a 4-3-3 from Gian Piero Gasperini's long-standing 3-4-2-1 is still a work in progress — the first-half display against a Serie B side exposed defensive vulnerabilities in transition and from set-pieces.

The squad returned to training on Wednesday 29 July before flying to Rotterdam for the De Kuip Cup against Feyenoord on Sunday 1 August 2026. Arezzo, preparing for their first Serie B campaign in over a decade under Cristian Bucchi, face a packed final fortnight of pre-season before their league opener in mid-August.

A tale of two halves — and a clear illustration of Sarri's squad depth. Atalanta's first XI was second-best for 45 minutes, but the second-half XI showed the quality that will define their season. Arezzo will take genuine encouragement from the opening 45 minutes, even if the final scoreline does not reflect it.