Date: September 1, 2022
Time: 20:45 CET
Tale of the Tape
Atalanta: t4th | 7 points | +3 GD | +1.3 xGD
Torino: t4th | 7 points | +2 GD | +2.4 xGD
The Student and the Master Square Off Again
On the first short week of the season Atalanta welcomes Torino back to the Gewiss after putting on one of the most raucous affairs of last year’s season. An Ivan Juric led squad that always has flavors of Gian Piero Gasperini sprinkled in it came to Bergamo last year and fought Atalanta to one of the most improbable matches of the year. A 4-4 scoreline was quite out of the norm, especially for a Torino side that was both equally allergic to conceding as well as scoring for itself.
Proceedings will likely look different this time around. Atalanta has shown early signs that it may not be its normal rough and tumble self that dukes it out in the midfield for heroic duels and scraps. Oppositely, Torino is now without the catalyst for all its aggression – Gleison Bremer. Now sporting black and white at the cross town rivals Juventus, Bremer leaves a massive hole that needs to be filled if Torino wants to continue to be the aggressive ball-winning side it was last year. Reinforcements have come in with ex-Ajax man Perr Schuurs. But it is still to be determined if the Dutchman can match the fire exemplified by Bremer.
In an early season that has seen both teams still trying to find their identity, both La Dea and La Granata will be satisfied with seven early points, and would be even more satisfied to join Roma (and maybe Napoli) as the only squad(s) in Serie A with double digit points.
Torino Player to Watch- Samuele Ricci
Amid a team of aggressive ball hawks and runners, Samuele Ricci is the quiet metronome that turns everything over. He’s barely 21 years old, but he already possesses an excellent feel for the game and an internal clock that midfielders his age should not be possessing. He still has time to further grow his game, but in the meantime Atalanta have to ensure that it does not give the young Italian too much time on the ball to pull the strings and turn the game in Torino’s favor.
Atalanta Passione’s Preferred Starting XI
The move to a back four worked so well for Atalanta in the second half against Verona, how could Gasperini at least not try it again for 90 minutes? Caleb Okoli and Merih Demiral looked strong together – and should be a good bet to wrangle in lone striker Antonio Sanabria.
Davide Zappacosta’s return to the lineup is somehow creating a logjam in a position that seemed the weakest for Atalanta. If Rafael Toloi does indeed get the nod at right back, that leaves Joakim Maehle, Nadir Zortea, Brandon Soppy, Matteo Ruggeri, and Zappacosta all jockeying for minutes on the left hand side. Zappacosta probably isn’t ready yet, but I imagine the left side becomes his to lose. Until then its Joakim Maehle time again.
Detractors of the back four can easily argue that Atalanta also looked so much better in the second half against Verona was due to the Ederson factor. It is undeniable that the Brazilian was the catalyst for Atalanta’s resurgence against the Gialloblu, and he has established himself as an instant starter. Where he plays is the only question. He looks equally suited to play both in the attacking midfield and further back. However, with only Koopmeiners and de Roon to offer support in the traditional roles, it may make sense to have Ederson drop back, and then scoot forward when the opportunity presents itself.
Up front Atalanta is still filtering through its carousel of attacking options that haven’t found their feet yet. Rumors of potential departures for Jeremie Boga and Ruslan Malinovskyi cloud the waters a bit, but in my estimation the principle attacker’s job is still Boga’s to lose. With the rumors coming out with a potential move, there may be something to the fact that there is some frustration from either Boga or the staff. So its approaching now or never time for the Ivorian – let’s hope now is what we see.
Biggest Key to Victory
Atalanta has to match Torino’s intensity. Atalanta may be departing from its notable high press formations, but that does not mean that Gasperini’s squad can timidly sit back and let Torino dictate the match. Last year’s initial meeting between the squads was the antithesis of what Gasperini desires from his squad, and the skipper cannot let Karol Linetty and Ricci run rampant in the midfield. A lot of dirty build-up work again will fall on Duvan, but someone needs to help the Colombian out at least a little. The less energy he exerts winning the ball in the attacking third means more energy he can save to fight against Torino’s centerbacks inside the box – in search of his first sorely needed goal of the season.
Stat of the week: In its first three matches Atalanta has failed to win the possession battle in each match. Verona and Atalanta tied with equal share of the ball last week. It may be more of the same on Thursday for La Dea against a Torino squad who isn’t scared to hold a lion’s share of the possession.
August ended nicely for La Dea, so why not start off September in the same fashion? Four matches in the month when all of Atalanta’s rivals are competing in Europe could have some interesting early standing implications. Of course, this only matters if Atalanta is able to come good and play its game. What that game is may still be TBD – but La Dea faithful have to be encouraged by the disciplined football being put on display. A vintage attacking clinic would be nice, but as long as the squad continually puts itself in positions to earn three points, I’ll take effectiveness over aesthetics any day. Until then, Forza Dea!!!
