Three goals before the break: Atalanta sink Pafos 3-1 in Conference League opener

Atalanta were 3-0 up at half-time, and the 3-1 final score on Thursday 15 October only confirmed what had happened in the first half at New Balance Arena.

It was the first League Stage match for both clubs, and Pafos lost theirs.

How the goals came

Atalanta scored early and often. Elmas opened the scoring in the first minute, with Raspadori providing the assist. Raspadori then converted a penalty in the 18th, so he was involved in the first two goals. Scamacca made it 3-0 in the 44th minute, set up by De Ketelaere, and the match was effectively settled before the break.

Pafos' only goal came late. Biel scored in the 88th minute, assisted by Anderson Silva, when the contest had long been over.

Adam Ladeback, the referee from Sweden, had no cards to show. Neither side received a yellow card, and there were no red cards.

What the numbers say

Atalanta had 65% of the ball and took 20 shots to Pafos' eight, winning six corners to two. The volume flatters them slightly, though: only seven of those 20 shots were on target. Pafos had five on target from their eight attempts, a far higher share, but only one of those efforts found the net.

Expected goals point the same way. Atalanta's 3.47 xG was higher than the three goals they scored, which suggests the finishing fell slightly short of the chances. Pafos' 0.91 xG was close to the one goal they got. Both goalkeepers made four saves.

The formations tell their own story. Maurizio Sarri set Atalanta up in a 4-2-3-1, while Ricardo Sa Pinto's Pafos used a 4-3-3.

Where it leaves them

Atalanta move into fourth after one match, with three points from their only game so far. The win rested on control and volume rather than one moment of brilliance.

For Pafos, the defeat leaves them 32nd with no points. Their five shots on target were not enough to change the outcome. The numbers point to a home side that created far more than its opponent, and the scoreline reflects that gap.