35' |
The counter developed quickly and it came from chaos triggered by Demien finally forcing action under pressure.
De Roon collected the ball in Atalanta's defensive third at the 35th minute and immediately looked for Demien who had checked into space between Napoli's lines near the right channel.
The pass came with pace and Demien's first touch was clean, but before he could turn Anguissa was on him again with Zielinski closing from the opposite side.
Double pressure.
Demien felt both players converging and his mind processed the situation quickly—passing backward would kill the counter, standing still would mean losing possession—so he attempted the La Croqueta Chain to escape.
The first motion came instinctively as he rolled the ball with his right foot away from Anguissa's challenge while shifting his body weight, and the execution was smooth enough that a small gasp came from some fans in the crowd who recognized the technique.
