Chapter 65: Chapter 64: Chelsea Vs Atalanta [V]
At the 49th minute Chelsea won a throw-in deep in Atalanta’s half after Soppy cleared a cross out for a throw. Chilwell picked up the ball and took it quickly to Pulisic who was showing for it ten yards away, and the American winger tried to turn Soppy immediately with his first touch but the wingback stayed tight on him without diving in. The ball went back to Gallagher who had dropped to offer support, and he played it square to Barkley in the center.
Barkley took one touch to control while scanning forward, saw space behind Atalanta’s back three, and tried a long ball over the top toward Werner who was making a run across Moretti’s shoulder. The pass had the right idea but Moretti read it perfectly from his position at center-back, stepping across Werner’s line while timing his jump, and he headed it clear with power that sent the ball forty yards forward.
The clearance fell to Musah in midfield who was positioned well to receive it, and the American took one touch to control before laying it off to Demien with his second.
Two Chelsea players closed in immediately—Gallagher from the left and Barkley from the right—trying to sandwich him before he could turn. Demien controlled the ball with his first touch while his body was already half-turned, scanned once with his eyes to see where space existed, and spotted Kolasinac pulling wide on the left touchline where Chelsea’s right-back hadn’t tracked him yet. He played it into space with his right foot, weighting the pass so Kolasinac could run onto it at full speed without breaking stride.
The pass was clean and weighted perfectly, arriving at Kolasinac’s feet just as the wingback hit top speed, and the Bosnian controlled it without slowing before driving toward the byline.
"Good!" Gasperini shouted from the touchline while clapping once. "Keep moving it like that!"
At the 52nd minute the rhythm of the match started to shift as Atalanta’s confidence grew.
The team pressed higher up the pitch now with more aggression, and Freuler won the ball in midfield with a crunching tackle on Gallagher that was perfectly timed—all ball and no foul. The Swiss midfielder looked up immediately while the ball was still bouncing, saw Demien making a run into the left half-space where Chelsea’s defensive shape had a gap, and played it forward with his right foot.
Demien received the pass with two touches—first to control the ball that came at him chest-high, second to bring it down to his feet while his head was already up scanning the field.
Everything opened up in his vision like a tactical map spreading across his consciousness, showing him every option simultaneously. He could see Højlund making a checking run back toward the ball with Chalobah tight on his back, Malinovskiy pulling wide right and dragging Chilwell with him which opened space in the channel, Kolasinac pushing forward on the left touchline but with a defender close, and Soppy—the right wingback on the opposite flank—bombing forward completely unmarked because Chelsea’s left-back had stayed narrow.
The pass required precision and technique to execute properly. Thirty yards across the pitch from left to right, over Barkley’s head who was in the passing lane, curving away from Chilwell’s recovery run, and dropping into Soppy’s stride so he could take it at full speed without adjusting.
Demien struck it with the outside of his right boot, his foot making contact with the outside edge of the ball to create the curve needed.
The ball sailed over midfield in a perfect arc, curved slightly away from Chilwell who was sprinting desperately to intercept it, and dropped into Soppy’s path at full speed exactly where the wingback needed it to continue his run without breaking stride.
The away section behind Atalanta’s goal erupted in appreciation—a few hundred voices rising together in approval of the technical quality they’d just witnessed. Atalanta supporters stood from their seats while clapping and shouting encouragement, recognizing the vision and execution that most casual fans would miss but true football lovers understood immediately.
Soppy controlled the ball without slowing his momentum, his first touch taking it forward while his second pushed it toward the byline, and he delivered a low cross into the six-yard box that fizzed across the grass with pace. Højlund attacked it with a powerful run, rising above Chalobah to meet it with his forehead, but the connection wasn’t clean and the ball flew just over the crossbar by inches with Kepa scrambling backward.
"YES, DEMIEN!" Malinovskiy shouted while clapping hard enough that the sound carried across the pitch. "Perfect ball! Exactly what we need!"
Gasperini was on his feet at the touchline, both arms raised while pointing at Demien and nodding with approval written across his face. "That’s it! That’s exactly what I want to see! Keep finding those passes!"
Demien jogged back into his position while his chest expanded with something that felt like confidence starting to build inside him, the first touch of belief that maybe he could actually do this at this level. Okay, I can play here, just keep making the simple decisions and the opportunities will come.
At the 58th minute Atalanta won the ball again through good pressing.
Freuler intercepted a pass from Barkley who had tried to play through the middle, and he immediately played it forward to Demien who had positioned himself in the pocket of space between Chelsea’s midfield and defense. Demien received the ball with his back to goal while Gallagher pressed immediately from behind, the English midfielder being physical and aggressive while trying to muscle him off the ball with body contact and hands pushing against his shoulder.
Demien felt the pressure—the weight of Gallagher’s body pressing into his back, the hands grabbing at his shirt, the aggressive intent to win the ball—but his body stayed balanced through his core strength while his mind processed the situation. He touched the ball to his right with his right foot to create separation, then immediately flicked it back across his body with his left foot in one smooth motion.
La Croqueta—the classic move that Iniesta had made famous, executed cleanly in the middle of Stamford Bridge.
Gallagher lunged for where the ball had been but caught only air as his momentum carried him past, and Demien accelerated forward with the ball at his feet while the space opened up ahead of him. Three yards of room appeared where there had been pressure, and he looked up to assess his options in the split second before the next defender arrived.
Højlund was checking back toward the ball with his hands raised calling for it, Malinovskiy was sprinting in behind Chalobah on the right side with his pace taking him past the defender, and the pass existed between two Chelsea midfielders if he could thread it through. Demien played it with the inside of his right foot, keeping it low to the ground and weighted precisely so Malinovskiy could take it in stride.
The Ukrainian winger controlled it with his first touch while still running at full speed, took one more touch to set himself, and unleashed a powerful shot toward the far corner that had Kepa scrambling across his goal. The Spanish keeper dove full stretch with his right hand extended, his fingertips making contact with the ball just enough to divert it wide of the post and out for a corner.
"Brilliant, Walter!" Gasperini shouted while clapping twice with genuine enthusiasm. "That’s exactly what I want to see from that position! Keep doing it!"
A section of Chelsea supporters near the touchline were talking among themselves while one of them pointed at Demien, gesturing with his hand. "Who’s that kid wearing 28? Haven’t seen him before."
"New signing maybe? Trialist?" his friend responded while shrugging.
"He’s got some nice feet though, that little turn was clean."
The corner came to nothing as Chelsea cleared it easily, but Atalanta’s confidence continued building with every passage of play. They were no longer just defending and hoping to survive—they were actually playing football, creating chances, dictating moments.
At the 64th minute Chelsea pushed forward hard to protect their two-goal lead.
Werner received the ball on the left wing from a switch of play, cut inside onto his right foot while Soppy tried to show him outside, and unleashed a powerful shot from twenty yards that deflected off Demiral’s outstretched leg. The ball spun wide for a corner that had the Chelsea supporters rising in anticipation.
As the corner was taken by Pulisic who whipped it in with pace, Demien positioned himself at the edge of the box rather than defending inside it, ready to counter immediately if Atalanta cleared the ball. Demiral rose highest at the near post with perfect timing and headed it away powerfully, sending the ball arcing out toward the halfway line.
The clearance bounced awkwardly in midfield where Barkley tried to control it for Chelsea, looking to recycle possession and build another attack, but Musah read it perfectly and came sliding in with a tackle that was aggressive but clean. The American won the ball and immediately played it forward to Demien with one touch while still on the ground.
Transition moment—this is where games change, where quality shows, where opportunities appear if you can see them fast enough.
Demien received the ball thirty yards from goal in a central position with his head already up scanning. Four Chelsea players were ahead of him spread across the defensive line, two were behind him pressing to try and stop the counter before it could develop. Time compressed as decisions had to be made in fractions of seconds.
Chalobah closed him down immediately, sprinting forward from his position at center-back to try and dispossess him before he could play the ball forward into danger.
Demien used his body to shield the ball, turning slightly so his back was to Chalobah while the ball stayed on his far foot, and he let the defender commit his weight to one side before rolling away in the other direction. His balance kept him stable, his ball control kept the ball close, and Chalobah’s momentum took him past where the ball had been while Demien accelerated into the space that opened up.
Everything slowed down in Demien’s mind—not from the system but from David’s thirty-seven years of professional experience reading football matches combined with Demien’s young body being able to execute what the mind saw. The game became a series of still images showing possibilities, showing where players would be in two seconds rather than where they were now, showing the passes that could exist if his technique was precise enough.