The program of the 30th round of the Italian Championship opened with a match between Napoli and Atalanta (0:3). The current Scudetto winner was considered the favorite, but the starting lineup was confused by the brilliant play of Alexey Miranchuk.

In the first half, there was no more noticeable character on the field: the Russian national team player scored 1+1 in 45 minutes and also hit the post.

Most successful season in Italy

Miranchuk’s sudden transformation this season never ceases to amaze. Back in November, his agent announced that he was looking for a new team due to a lack of playing experience. Gian Piero Gasperini really didn’t like the Russian too much at the beginning of the season. Several times he was not included in the lineup at all, often remained on the bench throughout the entire match, and at best he was given a few minutes at the end of matches. In such a situation, parting with Atalanta really seemed inevitable already in the winter.

By mid-December, Miranchuk did not have a single effective action on his account. But now he has record numbers for him: four goals and ten assists – such figures were not even in the previous season, when he was a solid player in the base of Torino, who rented him.

Miranchuk statistics in Italy

• 2020/21 (Atalanta): 31 matches, 818 minutes, 7+2
• 2021/22 (Atalanta): 25 matches, 943 minutes, 2+5
• 2022/23 (Torino): 31 matches, 2275 minutes, 4+5
• 2023/24 (Atalanta): 28 matches, 1349 minutes, 4+10

Now Miranchuk can safely be called one of the main players of Atalanta, as far as this is generally possible with Gasperini’s craving for endless rotation. On Saturday, the head coach assigned Alexey to the attack in pair with the classic forward Scamacca. Already in the third minute, the guests’ number 59 had a chance to open the scoring, but ended up hitting the post.

Open video

The game between two equal opponents was not replete with dangerous moments, the more valuable each rare chance was. Over 90 minutes, the guests accumulated only 0.76 xG, but this was enough for three goals.

Atalanta managed to open the scoring as a result of a massive but chaotic attack. The ball began to bounce around the hosts’ penalty area and eventually bounced to Pasalic: the ex-Spartak midfielder somewhat awkwardly passed to Miranchuk, who was in the goalkeeper’s area, who missed from close range.

Open video

For Miranchuk, this goal was the first in two months – the previous time he scored was at the end of January. Perhaps he managed to regain his scoring instinct thanks to playing for the Russian national team. In a recent friendly match against Serbia, Alexey also managed to score after a long break (for the first time since the summer of 2021).

But Miranchuk is doing much better with assists: now the 28-year-old Russian is the team leader in this indicator this season. He already has 10 assists (de Ketelare, who is in second place, has only 7). If we take only 2024, then in all the top leagues only three players scored more assists: De Bruyne, Grimaldo and Theo Hernandez.

Miranchuk managed to add to his statistics towards the end of the first half: Scamacca hit the target with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area after a subtle pass from Alexei.

Open video

As a result, Miranchuk spent 90 minutes on the field, which has only happened to him a few times this season. According to the Whosored.com portal, he became the best player on the field by a large margin (8.3). Atalanta, fighting for a place in the top four, managed to close the gap with their main competitors Bologna and Roma. The club from Bergamo has a series of games ahead with teams from the bottom of the table, in which Miranchuk will have an excellent opportunity to increase his personal score.