Date: July, 2 2020
Time: 13:30 EST
Unfortunately, we won’t have Simon Kjaer to take out Fernando Llorente this time around, but regardless we have a doozy on our hands. With both teams matching each other step for step since the break, neither has faltered and suffered even a tie in the standings across all competitions. In a contest for who blinks first, let’s hope its not La Dea, who could see Insigne or Mertens scorching by them before they realized what happened.
And unfortunately, without Jose Luis Palomino in the lineup, who is arguably La Dea’s paciest center back, containing Napoli’s speed merchants will be the name of the game. Odd for a team that is so used to having offense be the focal point of the team. However, both Sassuolo and Udinese exposed Atalanta’s backline with pace (especially Lasagna), and Gasperini may have to be more conservative with his backline hovering around the 18 yard box, as they frequently have been doing since the break.
Now this may all be moot with the outrageous form that the attack continues show. They’ve already set an Atalanta record for most Serie A goals in a season, with 10 games still to go! Luis “Mercuriel” was blistering against Udinese (he has 5 goals against them this year), and could have been the game needed to get back onto good form. If Ilicic, who should get the start is healthy, an offensive arrangement of Papu, Ilicic, Muriel, and Zapata is lethal and will provide Koulibaly and Napoli’s defense with enough problems to help neutralize their pace up front.
Since the return from COVID break, mid-week games have been the real tests for Atalanta, and they passed with flying colors against Lazio. Now let’s hope this blistering form continues, and they can knock Napoli off their own run of furious form. As always, Forza La Dea!
