The start in Bergamo did not bring many goals, it was difficult to expect them in a team that played poorly with Ivan Jurić, but the match in the Montenegro jersey showed that Nikola Krstović has not lost the feeling of scoring goals that helped him break into Serie A.
The mastery with which he "turned" the Croatian defenders and scored a phenomenal goal from 18 meters to give the "falcons" a 2:0 lead was not lost on journalists from Italy, as expected.
The goal, which ultimately wasn't enough for Montenegro to defeat one of the best teams in the world (2:3), also sent the right message to Rafael Paladino, Atalanta's new coach, according to media from the Apennines.
"La Dea, have you seen Krstović like this? A gem of a goal against Croatia," was the headline on Sky Sport, which further added:
"With two goals (also scored against Gibraltar from a penalty) and 160 minutes spent on the field, the Montenegrin striker wants to be an important player again in Atalanta in order to erase his last lackluster performances in the Nerazzurri jersey and to convince new coach Paladin."
Television, which has been broadcasting Serie A for years, knows well how much this goal meant to our footballer.
"Nikola Krstović has found his smile again in the national team," concludes Skaj.
"Calciomercato" brought a story about the width that Atalanta has in the offensive ahead of Paladino's debut on Saturday (8:45 PM) against Napoli, emphasizing that Krstović and Gianluca Scamacca are competing for the position of central striker.
"The Montenegrin has already convinced Paladin from afar - two goals for his national team, one from a penalty and another gem against Croatia, with 160 minutes played. It was a clear message to the coach that he wants to score goals in Atalanta as well, in order to erase his recent poor performances. Unlike Skamaka, who has a long break due to injury, he has 90 minutes in his legs," the aforementioned media outlet writes.
At the press conference when he was introduced, Paladino emphasized that he sees this Atalanta team in a 3-4-2-1 formation, and if necessary in a 3-4-1-2, so it is clear that the young expert, who did a great job at Fiorentina, will in most cases have to opt for a classic striker.
"I believe in all the players, especially the forwards. Skamaka has important quality, and Krstović also has his characteristics. They have to understand that every training session has to be done to the maximum," said Paladino.
Krstović has scored two goals in Serie A this season (both against Torino in September) and has also registered three assists.
"I don't focus on goals - for me the most important thing is the game, or rather the performance on the field," the new Atalanta coach is clear.
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