Atalanta keep their high flying ways with 2 strong and convincing wins over Udinese and Coppa Italia winner Napoli. With 82 goals so far in Serie A, La Dea only need to average 2 goals per game the rest of the season to finish with 100 for the campaign, an incredible feat! Doubly amazing, Atalanta has now won 7 straight Serie A games, the first time they have done so in their 100+ year history!
The matches this week were truly polar opposites; with a classic offensive masterclass against a clearly defensive Udinese, and an all around well played match against Napoli in which Atalanta actually showed poise and defensive shape to neutralize another high flying club. The Napoli match proved that Atalanta does have another level, one that is slower. For the first time this season, it seemed that La Dea was comfortable sitting back, clogging the box, and begging Napoli to try and get past them. And miraculously, it led their first clean sheet since their 7-0 drubbing against Torino back in January.
Perhaps the Udinese match was the push for Gasperini to not go out and attack relentlessly. Kevin Lasagna seriously exposed Atalanta’s backline, and demonstrated the lack of pace among Toloi, Caldara, and Djimsiti. The counterattack game can seriously be the downfall of Atalanta, and their games always remind me of Mexico’s upset over Germany in the 2018 World Cup. Long ball after long ball over the defense will eventually turn into an opportunity, and that opportunity maybe a goal. Speed kills and Gasperini showed the chops needed to make the necessary adjustments to ensure that Mertens, Insigne, and Lozano would not run circles around Atalanta’s sometimes shaky defense.
For me the rest of the season comes down to 2 things: can Atalanta get to 100 goals, and how will Atalanta continue to handle their defensive backline? Atalanta maintained their 2 goals/game needed to reach 100 this week, and with matches against Brescia and Sampdoria still remaining, they can afford several games under 2 goals (especially against Juve and Inter). However, the biggest challenge still remains the defense, especially in preparation for the Champion’s League. Palomino is the only back that can really keep up with a pacier forward, and even Hateboer was brought in at centerback to help offset the effect that Lozano was having on the left side. Sutalo got his first taste of action (albeit briefly against Napoli), and without knowing too much about his style, perhaps he’s the defensive player that Atalanta can turn to in a pinch to keep up with the likes of Lautaro, Dybala, and Ronaldo.
Now it would be foolish to finish off the article being a negative Nancy, so let’s hope that Atalanta can secure 4th place sooner rather than later, in hopes that Gasperini can tinker with his line-up and try new things whether they work or not. Experimentation and adapting are always needed to stay ahead of the competition, and what better place to do it than in Serie A games against professionals still jockeying for important places within the table. It’s been a cracking 2 weeks of football, and has made up for the months of football we had the misfortune of missing. Atalanta continues to be one of the most exciting clubs in Europe, and I can’t wait to see what the final 9 games hold for La Dea!
