Trivia Tuesday is back this week again, five questions about Atalanta to test our supporters’ knowledge. Like last week’s episode, the quiz is focused on the Nerazzurri European campaigns: starting off with recent achievements before going back to the past.
1) Who scored the first European goal in the 2017/2018 season in Atalanta’s comeback to Europe?
ANDREA MASIELLO
Thanks to the historic fourth place in the 2016/2017 season, Atalanta returned to play in European competitions after 26 years. The draw in Montecarlo wasn’t the luckiest: Atalanta’s opponents were Everton, Lyon and Apoel Limassol, in a Group E that seemed to be tough, yet extremely interesting.
Atalanta made their debut on the 14th September 2017, at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia. The English side Everton were the visitors in a night that all Atalanta fans won’t ever forget. Andrea Masiello’s opener broke the deadlock, in a match that ended in a 3-0 win. Atalanta defender was at the far post: he tapped-in and then ran towards the Curva.
2) Which is the record of consecutive wins for Atalanta in European competitions?
4 WINS IN A ROW
The record has been established during this season and it might be even improved, as the winning streak is still open. In the Champions League, Atalanta have obtained four wins in a row thanks to the win over Dinamo Zagabria (2-0) and Shakhtar Donetsk (0-3) in the last two Group C matches and thanks to the wins over Valencia (4-1 and 3-4) in the round of 16 double ties.
3) Before Josip Iličić, who had been the only player to have scored at least a hat-trick with the Nerazzurri jersey in Europe?
MUSA BARROW
Josip Iličić was the real protagonist in the 2019/2020 Champions League round of 16 second leg. At the “Mestalla” in Valencia, the four goals scored by the Profesor gave Atalanta the 4-3 win over the Spanish side, securing the qualification for the next round. Before him, in Atalanta history, only one player had managed to score three goals in a single match in a European competition.
Atalanta played at the Hasim Ferhatovic Hase Stadion in Sarajevo against home side FK Sarajevo, in the 2018/2019 Europa League preliminary round second leg. They were looking for a win after the 2-2 score in the first leg. The match ended 8-0 for the Nerazzurri (highest ever away win of an Italian club in Europe) and Musa Barrow scored his first European goals, as well as his first hat-trick with the team.
4) Against which team Atalanta have never played an official match? BVB – FC KÖLN – OFI CRETA – MACCABI HAIFA
MACCABI HAIFA
The correct answer is Maccabi Haifa, not to be confused with the other team of Haifa, Hapoel, against who the Nerazzurri played their third round of qualifying for the 2018-2019 Europa League Group stage, just after the resounding win in Sarajevo.
Atalanta played Borussia Dortmund in the 2017/2018 Europa League round of 32 (3-2 at Dormund, 1-1 at Reggio Emilia), knocking out FC Köln in the 1990/1991 UEFA Cup (1-1 at Cologne, 1-0 at Bergamo) and Ofi Creta in the 1987/1988 Cup Winners Cup round of 16 (1-0 in Greece, 2-0 at Bergamo).
5) At the Meazza against Valencia, Atalanta matched their highest home win in Europe: against which team did they get the previous 4-1?
FENERBAHÇE
Before the memorable match in the Champions League last 16 against the Spaniards of Valencia, the highest ever home win in the Atalanta history dated back to the 7th November 1990, when the Nerazzurri won 4-1 at the Bergamo Stadium thanks to the goals from Evair, Perrone, Nicolini e Bonacina. It was the UEFA Cup round of 32 second leg and Atalanta, after the 0-1 win obtained in Turkey, made it through the next round.