Atalanta earned a prestigious 2-1 friendly victory against Valencia at the Mestalla, winning the Trofeo Naranja.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s boys shocked Serie A to snatch fourth place last season and, despite losing several key players, appear ready to surprise again in 2017-18.
This was meant to be the big presentation of the squad to Valencia fans, but Atalanta spoilt the party.
Rafael Toloi opened the scoring by getting his head to a free kick from Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez after just 13 minutes.
Atalanta earned a prestigious 2-1 friendly victory against Valencia at the Mestalla, winning the Trofeo Naranja.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s boys shocked Serie A to snatch fourth place last season and, despite losing several key players, appear ready to surprise again in 2017-18.
This was meant to be the big presentation of the squad to Valencia fans, but Atalanta spoilt the party.
Rafael Toloi opened the scoring by getting his head to a free kick from Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez after just 13 minutes.
Not long after, Dani Parejo’s set play had been nodded in by Ruben Vezo for the equaliser, though goalkeeper Etrit Berisha could perhaps have done more.
Berisha made up for it with a fine save on Simone Zaza and Andrea Masiello needed a goal-line clearance to deny Rodrigo’s follow-up.
Atalanta took the victory in the second half with another dead ball situation, as Gomez’s corner found summer signing Jose Luis Palomino to fire in on the rebound.
Leonardo Spinazzola did not make the trip to Spain, as he is in negotiations for an early return to Juventus from his two-year loan.
Valencia 1-2 Atalanta
Toloi 13 (A), Vezo 20 (V), Palomino 65 (A)
Valencia: Neto (Jaume 46); Montoya (Abdennour 75), Vezo, Javi Jimenez (Nacho Gil 75), Gayà (Nacho Vidal 75); Cancelo (Nando 83), Parejo, Medran (Maksimovic 75), Carlos Soler (Latorre 75); Rodrigo, Zaza (Santi Mina 60)
Atalanta: Berisha; Toloi, Palomino (Mancini 68), Masiello; Hateboer, Cristante (Ilicic 73), Freuler (Schmidt 77), Gosens (Castagne 46); Kurtic (Haas 68), Petagna (Cornelius 73), Gomez (Orsolini 83)