My Ultimate Gacha System

Saturday, October 1, 2022

Centro Bortolotti Training Complex

10:47 AM

Saturday's preparation session carried the familiar weight of match-day-minus-one training as Gasperini gathered the squad on the main pitch and ran through final tactical instructions for tomorrow's home match against Udinese, and the atmosphere was focused without being tense because everyone understood their roles by now after weeks of working within the same system.

Demien moved through the drills with the rest of the squad as they practiced pressing triggers and transition patterns, and when the session ended after ninety minutes he walked toward the locker room knowing the squad announcement would come within the hour because Gasperini always posted the matchday list on Saturday afternoons.

The list appeared on the notice board at 12:15 PM, and Demien's name was there under the substitutes section between Muriel and Boga, and he felt no disappointment as he read through the starting eleven because being on the bench for a Serie A home match was familiar territory now rather than validation or setback, and the selection made tactical sense given that the starters who'd played against Sampdoria and Milan deserved to keep their positions.

In the dressing room the mood stayed practical as players changed and began heading home to rest before tomorrow's match, and Gasperini's voice carried from his office where he was speaking with the coaching staff about set-piece assignments, and nobody discussed the squad selection because it was simply information rather than drama.

The Week Leading to Udinese

Monday, September 26 - Saturday, October 1

Training during the week had been steady rather than spectacular as Demien split his time between attacking-midfield drills and wide positioning work, and Gasperini continued alternating his role without warning during tactical exercises because versatility was being developed through repetition rather than sudden breakthrough.

Each session followed a similar pattern—dynamic warm-ups, positional work in small groups, eleven-versus-eleven tactical drills where Demien operated sometimes centrally and sometimes on the right flank, and the variety forced constant adaptation that slowly became more natural as his body learned both roles through accumulated exposure.

The system had registered each completed training session with quiet efficiency, and the daily +10 TP rewards stacked in the background without ceremony as Monday became Tuesday became Wednesday, and by the time Saturday's preparation arrived, Demien's balance had grown steadily through consistent work rather than dramatic moments.

No highlight-reel performances during training.

No praise from coaches beyond brief nods when positioning was correct.

Just professional repetition that built competence gradually.

Sunday, October 2, 2022

Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo

12:30 PM - Matchday

The Udinese match unfolded as a tight and physical contest from the opening whistle as both teams settled into organized defensive shapes that made space difficult to find in the final third, and Atalanta controlled long stretches of possession without turning territorial dominance into clear chances during the first forty-five minutes.

From the bench Demien watched the tactical battle develop as Atalanta's midfield circulated the ball patiently while Udinese stayed compact and disciplined in their 3-5-2 formation, and the match felt balanced in a way that suggested the breakthrough would come from sustained pressure rather than individual brilliance.

Halftime arrived with the score still 0-0, and Gasperini's instructions during the break focused on quicker transitions and better movement in the half-spaces where Udinese's wing-backs were leaving gaps when they pushed forward to support attacks.

The second half continued in similar fashion as Atalanta pressed higher and created half-chances that didn't quite develop into clear opportunities, and at the sixty-second minute Gasperini signaled toward the bench and Demien stood immediately as the fourth official prepared the substitution board.

He replaced Pasalic in the attacking midfield area with instructions to occupy the half-spaces rather than dictate play centrally, and when he stepped onto the pitch the tempo had begun to dip as both teams showed fatigue from the physical intensity, and his role was to inject fresh energy into areas where Udinese's defensive shape had started dropping deeper.

63' - 75' |

Demien's contribution over the next twelve minutes was functional rather than spectacular as he focused on quick circulation and intelligent positioning that helped Atalanta maintain pressure without overcomplicating passages of play.

At the sixty-seventh minute he received the ball in the left half-space with his back to goal, and rather than trying to turn against his marker he laid it off first-time to Koopmeiners who'd made a supporting run, and the one-touch combination kept the tempo high and forced Udinese's midfield to adjust their positioning, and the pattern repeated several times as Demien became a reliable outlet for teammates looking to keep the ball moving.

His recovery runs were disciplined when Udinese won possession and tried to counter, and at the seventy-first minute he tracked back thirty yards to pressure a Udinese midfielder who was attempting to play a long ball forward, and the pressure forced a hurried clearance that went out for an Atalanta throw-in deep in Udinese's half.

One sequence at the seventy-fourth minute showed his tactical awareness as he received between the lines and immediately recognized that Lookman was making a run in behind Udinese's right center-back, and the pass came quickly with good weight, and though the final shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, the creation of the chance came from quick recognition rather than dwelling on the ball.

He didn't score.

Didn't assist.

Didn't force the game with individual moments.

But the contribution was there in small decisions that kept Atalanta's attacking rhythm flowing.

76' - 90' |

Atalanta found the breakthrough at the seventy-eighth minute through sustained pressure as Hateboer's cross from the right was met by Højlund's powerful header, and suddenly the stadium erupted while Demien jogged back to his position as teammates celebrated near the corner flag.

The second goal came six minutes later when Lookman drove inside from the left and struck from the edge of the box, and the shot deflected off a Udinese defender and looped over the goalkeeper into the net, and Atalanta were suddenly 2-0 up with less than ten minutes remaining.

Udinese pulled one back in the eighty-seventh minute from a set piece that caught Atalanta's defense disorganized, and the final minutes carried tension as Udinese pushed desperately for an equalizer, but Atalanta's defensive shape held firm and when the referee blew the final whistle, the scoreboard confirmed a 2-1 victory.

FULL TIME: ATALANTA 2-1 UDINESE