Date: December 12, 2021
Time: 15:00 CET, 9:00 EST
Still freshly off its Champion’s League exit, Atalanta on short rest must get ready for one of its most interesting opponents of the year. Hellas Verona, again, has been one of the biggest surprises of the early Serie A season. Scoring goals at will, they have all but staved off relegation – perhaps much to the surprise of regular Serie A enjoyers. Igor Tudor has done quite the job replacing now Torino skipper Ivan Juric, revamping Verona into an offensive juggernaut. Having already scored 32 goals on the season, Verona has one of, if not the most, underrated offense in the division.
Led by Gianluca Caprari, Antonin Barak, and the prolific Giovanni Simeone – the boys from fair Verona will be nothing but a handful, which Atalanta know all too well. While Atalanta have earned seven of twelve points against the Gialloblu since their climb back into Serie A two years ago, but the process to earn those points has been anything but straightforward. Verona’s old brand of football was pestering and frustrating. Now while the match may feel less cagey, the onus will fall on the defense to reduce mistakes and stick to Simeone like glue. Generating offense should not be a problem for La Dea, but can the boys come good after shipping three frustrating goals against Villarreal? That is the question…
Hellas Verona Player to Watch – Giovanni Simeone
El Cholito has undoubtedly been the surprise of Serie A this season. With 12 goals scored – including a four goal performance against Lazio and a brace against Juventus, the mercurial Argentinian looks refreshed after an uncomfortable stint with Cagliari. His finishing has been nothing short of spectacular this year, and with a foot of space, there is seemingly no shot that is out of range for him. He’s still flying high confidence, so it’ll probably be up on Marten de Roon and maybe Merih Demiral to man mark him like a hawk.
Atalanta Passione Predicted Starting XI
After Thursday’s match Atalanta misses out on an extra day of rest, which could force Gian Piero Gasperini to switch up his lineup more than he originally anticipated. Ruslan Malinovskyi is suspended, which could usher in the perfect opportunity to use the Josip Ilicic, Mario Pasalic, and Luis Muriel triumvirate that was so effective against Venezia.
Going along with the Venezia vibe, Teun Koopmeiners also deserves another start with his compatriot in the middle. Not having played since Venezia, Koopmeiners has proved he has too much quality to be sitting on the bench for three consecutive matches; and his presence will offer a bit more offensive flair in the middle which could become necessary if this match turns into a shootout.
At the back, has Merih Demiral demoted himself to rotation option? Its a valid question after his head scratching match, but the matchup does suit him, and he should provide aggression to combat Simeone and Caprari. I say he deserves a start to immediately bounce back from his previous disaster class.
Three Keys to Three Points
Give Ilicic Options in the Box to Hit- If Duvan does not start, Luis Muriel and Mario Pasalic have to make themselves available as outlets in the 18-yard box. Oftentimes against Villarreal there did not seem to be enough bodies betting forward to offer their services as goal scoring threats. Teun Koopmeiners can also help on this front, as he has shown more of a penchant to participate in attack than Remo Freuler and Marten de Roon.
Just Open Fire at the Box- As a supplement to the first point, this is not the match to dipsy doodle around the box. Verona has conceded the second most goals out of the clubs in the top 10. So while Tudor’s offense has excelled – the defense has become more open than it was under Juric. With Pawel Dawidowicz out, Verona has one less reinforcement to protect Lorenzo Montipo’s goal which has witnessed a healthy 14 shots per match this season.
Take Care on the Counterattack– Its evident that getting caught out on the counter is Atalanta’s Achilles Heal this year. An attacking duo of Barak and Caprari who are both excellent on the ball in terms of possession and driving forward can be problematic for Atalanta’s backline as it must prevent getting caught out against quick transitions. And of course Simeone will be lurking around somewhere looking to get on the end of a pass initiated by a counter – and by all means, do not lose him!
With Juventus drawing against Venezia this weekend already, Atalanta has a pristine opportunity to create even more distance between itself and the most fearsome opposition to steal a top-4 position. Getting over the hangover that was Thursday’s result looks like it may be easier for the boys after their valiant effort in the second half against Villarreal. Fear is no doubt in the boy’s minds, and it will take an all-out aggressive performance to earn three points in at a very difficult away venue. Let’s hope for the floodgates to open after the unfortunate midweek proceedings, and as always – Forza Dea!!!
