A little late to the game, but even after an ugly loss at home to SPAL, Atalanta have a lot to look forward to in the second half of the Serie A Campaign. In my mind there are three keys to the second that will make or break La Dea’s season and determine whether they can repeat a Top 4 finish and reach Champion’s League for a second straight season.
First: favorable home fixtures. Atalanta was fortunate to have most of their difficult away fixtures in the first half of the season. Going forward Atalanta still has home matches against most of Serie A’s heavy hitters, including: Roma, Lazio, Napoli, and Inter. Only away fixtures against Juventus, and Milan will present an extra level of difficulty for La Dea. But of course, nothing is to be taken for granted, and giving away points in away fixtures in winnable games will take an iron mentality, especially with Champion’s League Football thrown into the mix.
Second: is there enough depth? Atalanta already bolstered their defensive depth with signings of Czyborra, Caldara, and Bellanova. However, with the potential loss of Masiello, and Barrow already signed by Bologna, there are still question marks for a team that relies heavily on their main core of starters. It’s quite evident that when Papu Gomez is not in the game that La Dea can lack offensive creativity and look a little lost up front. Obviously not having Zapata for three months did not help, but now with Barrow out, it is all the more important that Zapata, Muriel, and Ilicic stay healthy throughout the year. As Malinovskyi begins to gel more with the team, he should be able to help up front, but I would really like to see the squad not have to rely on bombing the wingers so consistently in order to create chances.
Third: can they play on two fronts?: Some of the biggest fixtures in La Dea’s history will commence beginning in February with Champion’s League matches against Valencia. Atalanta obviously showed signs of fatigue combining a brutal round of group stages, and faltered a bit midway through the first half. Managing two games is obviously easier than six: however, both Valencia matches are after difficult games against Roma and Lazio (brutal Saturday to Wednesday fixture schedule). Regardless of how Atalanta performs against Valencia, while they are winnable games, no one will complain bowing out against a Champion’s League staple (barring a ridiculous 2nd leg collapse).
Ultimately there is plenty to look forward to in the 2nd half, with Roma as the main competition for that elusive 4th place spot. With Juventus, Inter, and Lazio looking like they will lock up the top 3, it will come down to Roma, Atalanta, and MAYBE a resurgent AC Milan (if Zlatan truly is the savior). The loss of Zaniolo is a huge blow for Roma, but injuries are part of the game, and health will be the biggest key to who comes out on top. Here’s hoping that Atalanta stays clear of the injury bug, and bags the 4th spot! And as always Forza Atalanta!
