My Ultimate Gacha System-Chapter 283 - 272: Fiorentina vs Atalanta - First Half I

Chapter 283: Chapter 272: Fiorentina vs Atalanta - First Half I

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence

7:57 PM

The tunnel was loud with the muffled roar from above pressing down through concrete, and both teams stood in their designated positions while children mascots held hands with players and the referee checked his watch one final time.

Demien stood in his position among Atalanta’s starters with his hands at his sides and his breathing controlled, and across the narrow space separating the two lines he could see Adriano positioned in Fiorentina’s formation wearing number 10 with his expression focused and composed.

Their eyes met across five yards of concrete and fluorescent lighting.

Adriano’s mouth moved first and his voice carried clearly despite the noise from above. "Good luck out there."

His hand extended forward between the two lines.

Demien’s response came automatically and his own hand met Adriano’s in a brief firm clasp, and their eyes held contact for two seconds while neither smiled but neither looked away either.

"You too," Demien said, and his voice was steady without emotion beyond professional respect.

The handshake broke and both hands dropped simultaneously, and Adriano nodded once before turning his attention back toward the tunnel exit while Demien did the same, and the moment ended cleanly without awkwardness because both understood what was coming next.

The referee spoke once to both captains and his voice was clipped and professional. "Time to go. Good luck to both teams."

The tunnel official raised his hand and the signal rippled down both lines, and players adjusted their shirts one final time while children mascots gripped their hands tighter in anticipation.

The roar from the stadium became deafening even through concrete walls.

Both teams stepped forward together.

Artemio Franchi Stadium

Pitch

7:59 PM

The sound hit them like a physical wall as they emerged onto the pitch—fifty-five thousand voices creating noise that pressed from all directions—and purple smoke from flares drifted across sections of the crowd while banners waved in synchronized patterns that created visual waves across the stands.

Demien walked beside his teammates toward the center circle while the noise crashed around them relentlessly, and the Artemio Franchi at night felt different from daytime matches because the floodlights created sharp contrasts between light and shadow that made everything more dramatic, and the steep stands seemed to lean inward creating an amphitheater effect that trapped sound rather than letting it dissipate.

The teams reached their positions while children mascots dispersed toward the sidelines, and cameras tracked the movements from multiple angles while the referee gathered both captains for the final pre-match ritual.

Commentary Booth

"Welcome to the Artemio Franchi here in Florence for what promises to be an absolutely crucial encounter," the lead commentator said, and his voice carried professional enthusiasm. "Fiorentina host Atalanta on this Saturday evening, and the atmosphere is simply electric."

"Both sides arrive in excellent form," his colleague added. "Fiorentina unbeaten at home all season—five wins, two draws from seven matches here at the Franchi. Atalanta sitting third in the table with genuine Champions League aspirations. This is a six-pointer in every sense."

The screen showed tactical graphics displaying both formations.

"Fiorentina line up in their usual four-three-three," the first commentator explained while arrows showed movement patterns. "Terracciano in goal. Back four of Dodô, Milenkovic, Martínez Quarta, and Biraghi. Midfield trio of Bonaventura, Amrabat, and Mandragora. Front three of González, Cabral, and Kouamé, with Adriano Ventresca operating between the lines."

"And for Atalanta," his colleague continued, "Gasperini goes with his trusted four-two-three-one. Musso in goal. Back three of Tolói, Djimsiti, Demiral. Wing-backs Hateboer and Mæhle providing width. Double pivot of De Roon and Koopmeiners. Attacking trio of Lookman, Demien Walter centrally, and Malinovskyi on the right. Højlund leads the line."

The coin toss completed and both captains jogged back to their teams, and the referee moved to his starting position at the center circle while his assistants took their places along the touchlines. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Demien stood in his assigned space between the lines and his legs felt light while his mind stayed quiet, and when he glanced once toward Fiorentina’s half he saw Adriano positioned similarly with his weight balanced and his eyes scanning the pitch exactly like Demien was doing.

Academy product versus academy reject.

Two nineteen-year-olds.

Ninety minutes.

The referee raised the whistle to his lips while his eyes scanned both teams one final time, and the stadium held its collective breath for one second before releasing it in a roar that anticipated what was coming.

Fweeeeeetttttttt!!!!!

0’ - 3’ |

The whistle’s sharp blast cut through the Florence night and Cabral touched the ball backward to Adriano who immediately played it square to Amrabat, and Fiorentina’s opening movement was calm and controlled rather than aggressive as the ball circulated through their midfield without urgency.

Atalanta’s shape dropped into position smoothly with the back three holding their line while De Roon positioned himself just ahead of them, and Koopmeiners sat slightly higher ready to press if Fiorentina’s midfield pushed forward, and the opening exchanges established rhythm rather than creating danger.

Amrabat received centrally and took two touches before switching play with a diagonal ball toward González on Fiorentina’s right wing, and the Argentine winger controlled it smoothly before facing up against Mæhle who’d tracked him immediately, and when the challenge came González cut inside slightly before playing the ball backward to Dodô.

The pattern continued for the opening minutes as both teams probed without overcommitting—Fiorentina circulating possession across their back four and midfield while Atalanta maintained defensive structure without pressing aggressively high—and the crowd noise sustained itself without spiking because neither side had created anything dangerous yet.

Commentary Booth

"Measured start from both sides here," the lead commentator observed. "Neither team rushing into mistakes early. Fiorentina content to circulate, Atalanta happy to let them have the ball in areas that don’t threaten."

"Smart approach," his colleague agreed. "This is the kind of fixture where patience matters. Force the issue too early and you create gaps that can be exploited. Let the match breathe, wait for the right moments."

3’ - 8’ |

The first moment of quality came in the third minute when Adriano received possession twenty-five yards from Atalanta’s goal with his back to Koopmeiners, and the Fiorentina wonderkid’s first touch was clean as he cushioned the ball with the sole of his right foot while his body shielded it from the pressure arriving behind him.

Koopmeiners closed quickly but Adriano had already anticipated the movement, and his second touch was a sharp pivot that turned him away from the challenge while maintaining possession, and suddenly he was facing forward with space to operate and the crowd’s noise spiked immediately in recognition of the quality.

Demien tracked the movement from ten yards away and began closing the distance because Adriano between the lines with time was dangerous regardless of what happened next, but Adriano’s decision came quickly as he carried the ball forward three meters before releasing González down the right channel with a perfectly weighted pass that split Mæhle and Djimsiti.

González collected it in stride and drove toward the penalty area while Mæhle recovered desperately, and when the Argentine reached the edge of the box his cross came early—curling toward the six-yard box where Cabral had peeled away from Demiral’s marking.

The Brazilian striker stretched fully with his right leg extended, but the ball skimmed just beyond his outstretched boot and skidded across the face of goal before bouncing out for a goal kick on the far side.

The stadium groaned collectively—fifty-five thousand voices expressing disappointment simultaneously—before scattered applause acknowledged the attempt even though no goal resulted.

Commentary Booth

"Ohhh, that’s a dangerous moment!" the commentator exclaimed. "Ventresca with lovely footwork to escape Koopmeiners, and that pass to González was perfectly weighted. Cabral inches away from making contact."

"This is exactly what we expected," his colleague added. "Ventresca dropping between the lines, receiving with his back to goal, turning away from pressure. Atalanta’s midfield already being asked uncomfortable questions."

Demien’s first meaningful involvement came ninety seconds later when Koopmeiners won the ball in midfield and immediately played it forward into the space where Demien had positioned himself between Fiorentina’s midfield and defensive lines.

The pass arrived cleanly but so did Amrabat’s pressure from behind, and Demien’s first touch controlled the ball while his shoulder absorbed contact from the Moroccan midfielder who was closing aggressively, and there was no space to turn because Mandragora had stepped across from the left to cut that option.

Demien planted his left foot and rolled the ball backward with the sole of his right boot, and the pass came simple and clean toward De Roon who’d dropped five yards deeper to provide the outlet, and the circulation continued without forcing anything risky.

Gasperini clapped once from the touchline and his voice carried across the pitch. "Good! Simple! Keep it moving!"

The approval was brief but clear—intelligent decision-making under pressure mattered more than attempting spectacular turns that risked losing possession in dangerous areas.