EUROPA -WAYNE ROONEY'S EVERTON SWEPT AWAY 3-0 BY RAMPANT ITALIAN MINNOWS, ATALANTA - MATCH REPORT

Given the cash splurge at the Merseyside club this summer, you could forgive their fans for the wave of optimism that crept into Goodison Park especially with the return of cult hero, Wayne Rooney. With an astute tactician in Dutch gaffer, Ronald Koeman, the Toffeees were right to dream having qualified for Europe's second tier competition. But all that was swept aside by a swash buckling first half perfomance from their less heralded Italian opponents, Atalanta.

The Telegraph described it as "a night as grey as Everton’s dreadful kit" as Ronald Koeman’s expensively assembled squad were embarrassed by a team making their first foray into Europe for 26 years.

Everton were completely blown away and a third successive defeat will only increase the scrutiny on Koeman after a summer recruitment drive which had promised so much.

All those fears over Everton’s lack of pace appear well founded on this evidence and here in northern Italy they had the cutting edge of a plastic spatula, unable to respond after a three-goal blast in a nightmarish first-half.

The only miniscule crumb of comfort for Koeman is that Manchester United, last season’s Europa League winners, also lost their first group game but this was a reality check equal to a thunderbolt between the eyes for the Dutchman.

Many Everton supporters had stormed off by half-time and Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford, and a reunion with Romelu Lukaku, looks a daunting prospect.

Everton were sliced apart for the second goal Credit: REUTERS

Atalanta, fourth in Serie A last season, were outstanding while their own fans will have savoured the two-hour drive back to Bergamo after such a memorable night.

With their own stadium under renovation, Atalanta will play all their European games 120 miles away in Reggio Emilia but this felt like a home tie, played in a crackling atmosphere.

Everton were under pressure from the start, with Maarten Stekelenburg over-worked in a rare appearance, tipping over a header from Phil Jagielka which was threatening to arc into the defender’s own net after just 100 seconds.

With six changes made to the team humbled by Spurs last weekend, Everton were disjointed and unable to find any rhythm, eventually falling behind in the 27^th minute.

Stekelenburg had saved brilliantly from close-range to deny Andrea Masiello yet from the resulting corner, the Atalanta left-back could not miss from barely a yard out after the ball took a deflection off Jagielka. 

Gomez's stunning strike was the pick of the bunch Credit: ANSA

Atalanta, playing with width and endeavour, increased their lead four minutes before half-time after a stunning strike from their talisman. Alejandro Gomez, known as Papu, was given far too much space to curl the ball into the far corner from 25 yards.

The third goal came just before the break, sparking a mass exodus of Everton fans, as Bryan Cristante exploited defensive hesitancy to advance into the area and direct the ball to the right of Stekelenburg.

Atalanta could have added more goals early in the second half, with Gomez shooting wildly over the bar before Remo Freuler struck the upright, but rarely moved out of second gear.

Rooney was replaced midway through the half after a desperately poor evening, with Everton only managing one shot on target all night.

This was as bad as anything served up during those final months under Roberto Martinez and Koeman has some serious work to do. He must have wished kick-off time had been delayed by an hour, too.

Credit - The Telegraph