Date: October 20, 2021
Time: 21:00 CET, 15:00 EST
Atalanta’s biggest match of the season comes Wednesday as the boys take on Manchester United at Old Trafford. Atalanta has had success in it’s European exploits, snatching victories at Goodison Park and Anfield, but pulling off a defeat against England’s most historical side, in front of thousands of fans, would be enthralling. And there’s nothing suggesting Atalanta can’t pull off an historical upset. Manchester United have not been on the best form as of late, losing this past week handily to Leicester City. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s name continues to cause heartburn among the Manchester United faithful – and many think the team is nowhere near the sum of its parts largely due to his (lack of) leadership.
Nonetheless, Manchester United can never written off regardless of how the club has recently played. Any side that sports the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, and Bruno Fernandes cannot be taken lightly – and as Manchester United demonstrated against Villarreal – it will pounce at a moment’s notice if permitted. Even with Atalanta’s injury woes – the gap in quality between the starters and the reserves is minimal. The drop from Matteo Pessina to Mario Pasalic is much more manageable for La Dea, than say, the drop from Rafael Varane to Victor Lindelof – perhaps a feather in the cap Atalanta deserves to address its depth this year.
Manchester United Player to Watch- Bruno Fernandes
So much of Manchester United’s attack runs through the man from Portugal (or is it Portugal the man?!?!). Fernandes has already smacked in four goals in the Premier League this year (none of them penalties!), and his passing range around the box is a major threat to any opponent. Atalanta’s defense will have to be on full alert with the plethora of through balls Fernandes will most likely be attempting. It will primarily be a big test for Merih Demiral, who has struggled a bit with his zonal awareness, to always be on the lookout for runners into the box – because any of Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood, or Marcus Rashford can pounce on a killer ball.
Predicted Atalanta Starting XI
Injuries to Rafael Toloi and Berat Djimsiti raise a lot of questions about how Gasperini will lineup. Either Gasperini will have to rely on Matteo Lovato in a back three or play in a back four for the first time this season. After Toloi exited the match, Gasperini didn’t demonstrate any apprehension in moving to a back four against Empoli – using all three midfielders. This feels like the most probable solution.
Beyond the hesitancy in relying on Matteo Lovato (and Giorgio Scalvini), if Gasperini does opt for a back three, it leaves the club with no breathing room to bring on an extra centerback in case of an injury or yellow card caution. Yes Marten de Roon or Teun Koopmeiners could play play in the back, but should either one of them see their first centerback action of the season in a defining Champion’s League match? Starting with all three midfielders has been many fan’s wish for awhile now, and roster rigidity may force the gaffer’s hand.
Up front Josip Ilicic has made it more challenging to guess who starts. After the Slovenian’s masterful performance against Empoli, he looks recharged and seems to have found a spurt of form that can make him invincible for stretches of time. Riding the hot hand has to be the right move until King Josip cools off a little. By his side, Mario Pasalic also deserves another start – if not just to hear British announcers refer to him as former Chelsea player 100+ times!
Other Manchester United vs. Atalanta Odds and Ends
Both Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel received a half of football against Empoli, probably intentionally. Muriel can be a secret weapon to carve up a weakened Manchester United defense after Zapata tires out Lindelof and a nicked up Harry Maguire.
Atalanta has struggled a bit being harassed by industrious pressing center forwards this season. This may not be an issue if Cristiano Ronaldo is slotted into the striker’s position. Upon coming back to England, Ronaldo has averaged only 3.86 presses per 90 minutes. For comparison, Zapata has only averaged 9.2 per 90 minutes, which is still a ridiculously low number for strikers. This should hopefully help Demiral and Palomino build the ball out to the playmakers.
Speaking more of Cristiano Ronaldo, he has only scored once against Atalanta from open play – in six appearances. Atalanta has seemed to have his number, more so than other teams in Italy, and hopefully La Dea’s knowledge of his tendencies will pay off.
Ilicic is 18 out of 23 in his career on penalties – good enough for a 78% conversion rate. But after his bad miss on Sunday, Zapata > Koopmeiners > Muriel > Malinovskyi seems to be the appropriate order should Atalanta be fortunate to take a penalty. Koopmeiners may eventually take over penalty duties, but Zapata deserves the honors until he demonstrates he should not be taking them.
A win against Manchester United, and Atalanta will have the Round of 16 in plain sight. Seven points in the group would be monumental, especially if Villarreal is not able to pull off a victory against Young Boys. The oddsmakers may not be giving Atalanta the best chances to earn three points, but everything may culminate into a perfect storm for Atalanta to earn an impressive result. Solskjaer’s job may be safe for now, but imagine if Atalanta was the straw that broke the camel’s back that kicked off the Manchester United coaching hunt?
It could happen… But let’s just start with playing respectable, mature, yet attractive football. If Atalanta plays its game good things should come. If it’s just a point so be it, its still a worthy result in one of Europe’s most challenging stadiums to steal points. Let’s go do it! Forza Dea!!!
