Premier League Aston Villa sold goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini to Serie A entertainers Atalanta for just £3.75m.
Three games into their first ever Champions League campaign, Atalanta were bottom of Group C without a point to their name.
So you would have got long odds, after a 5-1 thrashing by Manchester City at the end of October, on Gian Piero Gasperini’s side overhauling Shakhtar Donetsk and Dinamo Zagreb to finish in second place and qualifying for the knockout stages.
But, thanks to a 3-0 win in Ukraine on Wednesday night, that is exactly what happened as the beasts of Bergamo secured one of the most stunning triumphs in their history.
Arguably the most exciting team in Italian football right now, the Serie A top scorers were at their barnstorming best away to Shakhtar with second half strikes from Timothy Castagne, Mario Pasalic and Robin Gosens making the difference.
But the most unexpected of turnarounds wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for a brilliant display from goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini in the opening 45. Yes Aston Villa fans, that Pierluigi Gollini
The Italian international made one outstanding reflex stop from a Junior Moraes header when the score was still poised at 0-0. It’s fair to say he’s come a long way since Aston Villa sold him for just £3.75 million after a miserable spell in the Midlands (BBC).
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