Chapter 43: Chapter 42: Fiorentina U23 vs Atalanta U23 [VIII]
The finesse shot curled away from Bellotti’s outstretched leg as the defender tried to adjust, and the ball bent through the air with sidespin that took it away from Battistini’s dive toward the far corner.
The goalkeeper flew with his right hand extended and his fingertips brushed the ball, but the contact wasn’t enough to change its trajectory significantly, and the ball struck the inside of the far post before bouncing into the net.
Fiorentina 3-3 Atalanta (73’)
The stadium erupted as the noise became deafening, and around the stands, conversations buzzed with the same observation as one fan turned to another and said, "This feels personal, like those two came here just to prove who’s better."
"Number eight and their number ten," another voice agreed while gesturing at both midfielders, and he added, "They’re going back and forth like it’s their own private battle."
A Fiorentina supporter shook his head and said to his friend, "I can’t even be mad, this is better than most Serie A matches, these kids are going at each other."
In the stands, Isabella had both hands pressed to her chest as tears formed in her eyes while watching her son equalize again, and she whispered, "That’s my boy," before Sophia reached over and squeezed her shoulder with a supportive smile.
"He’s incredible," Sophia said while her own excitement showed on her face, and she continued, "And so is Luca, did you see that finish?"
Three rows behind them, another supporter said loudly, "It’s like watching two players with something to prove, every time one scores, the other answers back."
His companion nodded while still on his feet applauding, and he responded, "That number eight plays with real fire, you can tell he’s desperate to win this."
Luca sprinted toward the corner flag with arms raised while his face showed pure joy, and his teammates swarmed him as Demien arrived first and jumped on his back while the rest of the team piled on in celebration.
Coach Rossi pumped both fists from the touchline as satisfaction spread across his face, and he called out, "Beautiful finish, Luca! Exactly what we’ve been working on!"
The celebration continued as both benches were on their feet applauding the quality of football on display, and the match had become something more than a friendly between youth teams as it felt like a personal duel between two talented midfielders who refused to be outdone.
At 75 minutes, both coaches signaled for multiple substitutions as the friendly nature of the match allowed for generous squad rotation.
Coach Rossi held up his substitution board showing five changes, and the fourth official processed them as Demien, Luca, Riccardo, Parisi, and Costa all jogged toward the touchline while their replacements warmed up nearby.
Demien received particularly loud recognition as he walked off with sweat soaking his jersey, and even Fiorentina’s fans offered respectful applause for his two-goal performance, and he clapped back toward all sections of the crowd before exchanging a firm handshake with his replacement Leblanc.
Across the pitch, Adriano also came off as part of Fiorentina’s own wave of substitutions, and the wonderkid acknowledged the crowd with raised hands before jogging to the bench where his teammates congratulated him with pats on the back.
The two midfielders exchanged one final look across the technical areas, and neither smiled nor acknowledged the other beyond that brief eye contact, and the message was clear: the rivalry would continue.
Within three minutes, both coaches had made additional changes as the remaining starters came off in smaller groups, and by the 78th minute, both teams had completely refreshed lineups with substitutes eager to prove themselves in the final phase of the match.
The final fifteen minutes became a showcase for both clubs’ depth as substitutes pressed with enthusiasm if not quite the same quality, and chances came at both ends without the clinical finishing that had defined the starters’ performance.
At 78 minutes, Bernard drove at Fiorentina’s defense with direct running that showed his natural instinct, and his shot from eighteen yards forced Battistini into a diving save that drew applause from Rossi.
The coach clapped and laughed from the touchline while calling out, "Good effort! Keep shooting!"
At 82 minutes, El-Alami cut inside for Fiorentina and struck a powerful shot toward the top corner that seemed destined for goal, but Lombardi appeared from nowhere and cleared it off the line with a desperate header.
The crowd gasped collectively as both sets of fans jumped to their feet, and Fiorentina’s coach leaped and cheered from his technical area while Rossi clapped and shouted encouragement to his defender.
At 87 minutes, Lombardi made another crucial intervention with a perfectly timed sliding tackle that won the ball cleanly from a Fiorentina substitute, and both sets of supporters applauded the defensive work while Gasperini made quiet notes about Atalanta’s substitute depth.
The final whistle approached as both teams continued pressing without finding the breakthrough, and the match wound down naturally as players conserved energy in the friendly’s closing stages.
Fweeeee! Fweeeee! Fweeeeeee!
The referee’s three sharp blasts signaled full time, and the final score stood at 3-3 as both teams had fought to a draw in what had become an entertaining showcase of young talent.
FULL TIME: Fiorentina U23 3-3 Atalanta U23
Coach Rossi clapped his hands together as he walked onto the pitch, and his voice carried pride as he called out, "Well done, boys! Heads up! That was excellent!"
Players from both teams exchanged handshakes and brief words while exhaustion showed on faces mixed with satisfaction at the quality of football displayed, and several Fiorentina players sought out Demien specifically to acknowledge his performance with respectful nods and clasps of hands.
Adriano remained on the bench, and when Demien walked past toward the tunnel, their eyes met briefly before both looked away without acknowledging each other beyond that momentary glance.
The teams began walking toward the tunnel as the crowd offered final applause, and Rossi gathered his players with encouraging words while Fiorentina’s coach did the same with his squad.
In the directors’ box, Gasperini stood and clapped as genuine appreciation showed on his face, and he turned to his assistant while shaking his head with a smile.
"Sensational," Gasperini said while his voice carried enthusiasm rarely heard from the typically reserved coach, and he continued, "I can’t believe I got this excited watching U23 football, but that was proper quality."
His assistant grinned while organizing his notes, and Gasperini asked, "Have you spoken to the director of football yet?"
"Yes, Mister," the assistant confirmed while nodding, and he added, "They said when you get back to Bergamo, they’ll start the contract signing process for Walter, and they’ll offer Bianchi a contract as well with the plan to loan him out immediately for first team experience."
"Good," Gasperini said while his mind was already working through squad planning implications, and he asked casually, "How is the Ademola Lookman deal progressing?"
His assistant checked his phone quickly before responding, "It’s going well, negotiations are in the final stages, should be wrapped up within the week."
"Excellent," Gasperini said while satisfaction colored his tone, and he gathered his notepad and jacket before adding, "I’m going to the dressing room, I need to see Walter up close before we leave."
His assistant nodded while falling into step beside him, and both men exited the directors’ box as the stadium began emptying around them while conversations about contracts and futures would soon reshape careers.