ZINGONIA – Andrea Stramaccioni's Primavera lost 3-1 to a good Atalanta team this afternoon. It was a game of two halves: in the first period the Nerazzurri struggled initially to get their shots on target but then when they did they were denied by opposing keeper Frackowiak. After the break, Duncan put Inter ahead from the spot after Candido won a penalty but, partly due to Bianchetti's injury, the Nerazzurri were unable to prevent the hosts turning the game on its head. This is what the coach had to say after the match: "I'm very upset and annoyed. We worked hard to take the lead and get ourselves into a good position in what was a difficult away game, playing at a high intensity and pushing up, especially in the second half. Once we'd established the lead we were in control of the contest and could have added a second through Candido and Forte. Then Atalanta's equaliser came about because of an injury in defence and it sent the game in a different direction."
With a quarter of an hour remaining, Bianchetti was involved in the unfortunate equaliser; two minutes afterwards Stramaccioni brought on Bessa to try and take the lead again and a minute later the defender got injured and was unable to continue, leaving his team with ten men. A man down and with four attackers on the pitch, Inter then fell behind. Stramaccioni commented: "Their goal affected us too much on a psychological level. Games don't always follow a linear and logical course and we still lack the mental toughness needed at times. If we don't improve that aspect of our game, we're never going to become the finished article. With all due respect to our opponents, we've already dropped enough points in games like this. At the moment I'm angry but we have to put it behind us and think about Lisbon, a game I think too much as been said about. Now I can't wait to play it, for lots of reasons."
