Eager to build on a strong 0-0 draw at Napoli on matchday four, Frankfurt immediately looked to go one better against the Partenopei’s fellow Serie A heavyweights. Currently the joint-leader of the Italian top-flight’s assists chart, Fares Chaibi got the game’s first major chance after 11 minutes, as his effort from just outside the area forced Marco Carnesecchi into making a brilliant save.
That sparked some other main threats in the Eagles’ camp, and Robin Koch should have done better with his header, which flew wide just three minutes later.
An Atalanta response was widely anticipated, but it would take until the 26th minute for La Dea to call Michael Zetterer into real action for the first time – albeit in the form of a tame Davide Zappacosta strike that was easily gathered.
However, Zetterer was truly left counting his lucky stars 10 minutes before the break, when the woodwork saved him and Frankfurt twice, as Ademola Lookman’s first-time strike hit the right-hand post, before Gianluca Scamacca’s rebound remarkably hit the same spot to bring the first half to a goalless end.
Atalanta began the second half with similar zeal, and Zetterer was alert enough to sprint from his goal line to stop Lookman from wheeling away in celebration. Nevertheless, there was nothing that Zetterer could do to prevent the Bergamo outfit from stunning Deutsche Bank Park into silence in a devastating two-minute spell beginning on the strike of the hour mark.
First, a criminally unmarked Lookman volleyed home Charles De Ketelaere’s dinked delivery from inside the area, before Lookman turned provider with a defence-splitting pass, which allowed Ederson to slot the ball underneath the onrushing figure of Zetterer.
If the silence was deafening after Atalanta’s second, it was something else entirely just a further three minutes later, as De Ketelaere hammered home on the rebound after Scamacca’s effort had struck the underside of the bar.
Zetterer saved Frankfurt from any further embarrassment in the 69th minute, as he expertly kept out Berat Djimsiti’s header to end a nightmare 10-minute spell on something of a high. But in truth, Atalanta’s work was more than complete, and they ultimately cruised to a well-deserved victory.
Despite tonight’s goal glut, Raffaele Palladino’s potent-looking Atalanta side remain outside of the eight automatic qualification positions for the Round of 16 on goal difference, and will need to be as clinical as they were here in order to remedy that on matchday six, when hosting world champions Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Frankfurt’s chances of emulating their 1959/60 run to the European Cup final look more remote than ever, with the Eagles having now won just one of five UCL matches this term, while losing a second successive European home game by a 3+ goal margin.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta)