Date: November 6, 2021
Time: 20:45 CET, 15:45 EST
Atalanta’s annual trip to Sardinia has commenced – with La Dea taking on a struggling Cagliari side. Cagliari, probably shocking to most, is sitting last in the Serie A table having lost its last three matches. Cagliari only has one victory on the young season, Atalanta not earning three points would be a disappointing result. However, trips to the island are never easy for any opponent, and Gasperini has to ensure the boys don’t take the result for granted (especially right before the imminent international break).
Cagliari Player to Watch – Joao Pedro
Joao Pedro is singlehandedly doing his best to keep Cagliari out of the relegation zone. Remarkably, this is Pedro’s eighth season with Cagliari, and he may required to put up his best goal output to date for the Sardinians to stave off relegation. One of the only bright spots on the team this year, Pedro has already notched six goals – and with Keita Balde out injured, he will be Cagliari’s main offensive output. He’s gone scoreless in his last three matches, with only one shot on target. If Atalanta can keep the Brazilian quiet, the defense should not have too much difficulty containing an otherwise anemic Cagliari attack.
Atalanta Passione’s Predicted Starting XI
Atalanta is getting closer and closer to full health, with only Robin Gosens and Rafael Toloi still out of commission. Matteo Pessina is back into the squad, but its to be determined how much gametime he’ll actually see. Mario Pasalic’s good run of form should guarantee him a start, although he does have the ability to provide more of a spark of the bench than Pessina (hopefully Atalanta doesn’t put itself in a situation in which it ‘needs’ a spark).
Defensively, Berat Djimsiti played a very strong 45 minutes against Manchester United, and it hardly seems like he has been injured for over a month. His presence in the squad will be a major boost, especially with his versatility to play in any of the back three positional slots. Merih Demiral and Jose Luis Palomino will probably get starting nods, but Djimsiti’s flexibility could permit Gasperini to choose Matteo Lovato should he so desire. Ultimately, there are no major surprises in the lineup selection, as things finally look to get back to normal.
Atalanta’s Three Keys to Three Points
Mind the long balls- Atalanta will likely have a lion’s share of the possession on Saturday. Therefore, Cagliari’s offense will likely rely on aerial counterattacks. Atalanta has a penchant for being shaky when cleaning up messes, and doing so against Cagliari comes close to being inexcusable.
Attack the box- Against Udinese Atalanta had so few options running into the box, Josip Ilicic and Ruslan Malinovskyi didn’t even get to test their creativity. Having Mario Pasalic play in attack should help, but outside runs from Joakim Maehle and Davide Zappacosta would help to break down Cagliari’s low block.
Minimize the empty calorie possession- Atalanta cannot afford to just pass the ball around for the sake of it. No 600+ passes with over half of them backwards! Atalanta needs to continually drive the ball forward and ensure Cagliari continues to be put under pressure.
Three points going into the international break, plus a fully healthy squad post national team duty has Atalanta looking on the up and up. Atalanta can do itself a lot of good to dominate right off the back – a confidence boost not just in the match but for the squad after the bitter Manchester United draw. A victory puts Atalanta four points ahead of where it was after 12 matches last year, and somehow this year feels like it has been much more of a struggle. Lot’s to look forward to, and three points on Saturday will make it even more enjoyable! As always, Forza Dea!!!
