The match resumed after the free kick scramble, and Adriano limped back onto the pitch with heavy strapping around his ankle while his jaw was set with determination despite the visible discomfort, and the wonderkid immediately slotted back into his position as Fiorentina's attacking midfielder while the physio jogged back to the touchline.
The next twenty-three minutes became a war of attrition as both teams pressed and probed without finding the breakthrough, and Atalanta dominated possession while Fiorentina sat deep and absorbed pressure with disciplined defensive lines that frustrated every attacking attempt.
Demien orchestrated from central midfield with renewed focus as his earlier anger had been channeled into controlled aggression, and he dropped deep to collect passes before spraying balls wide to Luca and Costa, but Fiorentina's defenders read the patterns and closed down space before chances could fully develop.
