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In the final-day showdown to secure the second-place finish in Serie A this season, Inter Milan came out strongly against Atalanta to finish just a point behind winners Juventus who crashed to a 1-3 defeat against AS Roma.
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Antonio Conte's men managed a comfortable 2-0 win over the hosts, thanks to two first-half goals from wing-backs Danilo D'Ambrosio and Ashley Young. With a fourth-straight clean sheet, Inter Milan signed off their 2019-20 Serie A season on a high.
Atalanta failed to produce their attractive, attacking style of play against Inter Milan. In the process, they squandered the opportunity to achieve their best finish in a Serie A season as well as reaching the 100-goal mark for the campaign, falling just two goals short of the landmark tally.
What was expected to be an entertaining top-of-the-table clash instead ended up disappointing the fans as Conte's Inter Milan completely outclassed La Dea in a one-sided affair.
As the curtains were drawn on the 2019-20 Serie A campaign, we take a look at five talking points from Inter Milan's authoritative win over Atalanta.
Five talking points from Inter Milan's 2-0 win over Atalanta in the 2019-20 Serie A:
#1: Ashley Young revelled on the left-flank for Inter Milan
Ashley Young has rejuvenated himself at Inter Milan since moving to the San Siro in January. He has scored four goals and provided as many assists in 18 appearances, with his fourth goal and fourth assist of the season coming against Atalanta on the last matchday of the 2019-20 Serie A campaign.
Young showed brilliant bursts of pace and trickery going forward, and for a player who turned 35 last month, he was pretty quick on his feet. His goal was a piece of beauty as Marco Sportiello had no chance stopping his right-footed curler.
#2: Atalanta's 22-game unbeaten streak came to an end
Atalanta came up short against Inter Milan on the last day of the 2019-20 Serie A season. In the process, they suffered their first defeat in 22 games across all competitions and their first at home since November.
Their unbeaten streak included wins over Lazio and Napoli and a draw against champions Juventus. With the loss, Atalanta failed to secure a second-place finish in Serie A for the first time in their history as they repeated their third-placed finish from last season.
But more importantly, Atalanta's loss couldn't have come at a worse time as they head into their Champions League quarter-final against French champions Paris Saint-Germain with impaired morale.
The club has been punching above their weight for the last couple of seasons. If they the right lessons from their loss against Inter Milan, Atalanta have the potential to upset Paris St. Germain in less than two weeks' time.
#3: Atalanta couldn't recover from Inter Milan's early onslaught
It seemed Inter Milan came into the game against Atalanta with only one intention: to finish second in Serie A for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign. As soon as the kick-off whistle was blown, the visitors sprung into action. With just seconds into the game, Inter Milan registered their first shot on goal.
From the subsequent corner, the visitors opened the scoring as their two wing-backs combined to produce the goal. Young delivered an inviting cross from a short corner which was met with purpose by D'Ambrosio. With Atalanta barely touching the ball, Inter were already a goal ahead.
The home side suffered a dual setback when their goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini was injured while attempting a save.
Gian Piero Gasperini's men never fully recovered from the early blow, and their entire gameplan fell apart as they lost their usual edge going forward. Despite having more possession than Inter Milan, the hosts could not generate enough goal-scoring chances, managing a meagre two of 14 shots on target.
#4: Atalanta lacked concentration and determination in the final third
Atalanta's game against Inter Milan was a matchup between a side who had scored the most goals in Serie A this season (98) against another who had conceded the fewest (36). As the game eventually panned out, the better defence emerged triumphant.
Though the Nerazzurri deserve credit for their defensive work, especially their interceptions and timely tackles, it was the home side's wastefulness in the final third that massively aided Inter Milan's cause.
The fluid and electric style of Atalanta that we have seen this season was missing as they lost possession way too easily in the final third. Their moves ran out of steam just outside Inter Milan's box as no player was able to pick a pass to find Duvan Zapata upfront.
Even Atalanta's captain and top assist provider this season, Alejandro Gomez, failed to provide the spark in the final third. Overall, the hosts lacked imagination going forward as their moves were predictable, and they were stopped in their tracks by the Inter Milan midfield.
#5 :Antonio Conte looks ready to make Inter Milan title contenders once again
Antonio Conte did not win the Serie A title in his first season in-charge at Inter Milan, as he did so with Chelsea in 2016-17. But he will be a satisfied man after leading his side to a creditable second-place finish. Only one point eventually separated Inter Milan from Juventus who suffered a 1-3 home defeat against AS Roma.
Inter Milan ended up with the best defensive record for the campaign and also the best attacking record behind Atalanta whom they comfortably beat tonight.
Conte's men were calm in their win against Atalanta and controlled the game for the better part despite having less possession than the hosts. The visitors played with intention and determination to win and to score goals even when they were two goals ahead.
How a season ends can often set the tone for the next season for a team. Inter Milan's commanding win on a night when Juventus suffered their seventh loss of the campaign will definitely inspire them to perform even better in the Serie A next season.
