Date: July 5, 2020
Time: 13:30 EST
Can Atalanta make it 8 Serie A victories in a row? That’s the big question on everyone’s mind as the High Flying La Dea head off Italy’s mainland to Sardinia to face Cagliari. Cagliari were able to get the best of Atalanta in their first fixture this season, but that was at a different point of the season when Atalanta were struggling to find a new identity with a clogged Champion’s League schedule and a newly injured Duvan Zapata. Also Cagliari could seem to do no wrong at this point and were even considered early dark horses for a Champion’s League spot.
Going off the mainland is never an easy task for any team for an away fixture, but a crowdless Sardegna Arena is a fortuitous break for Atalanta who won’t have to deal with raucous Sardinian supporters. It’s almost become a trend for game previews, but the main question always seems to be when will Gasp do more to bring in other players into the rotation. Playing nearly every 3 days will eventually take a toll on the squad, and already has on the defensive line. Djimsiti definitely has looked fatigued at times, as well as Hateboer who never stops running (however Castagne did get a start to help give Hans some rest). We did get to see fresh faces last time out, albeit it garbage time, with Sutalo and Tameze. However, it may be prudent for Gasp to rest some legs in preparation for Champion’s League.
As far as I know; Papu, Zapata, and Freuler have started every game since the return, and I think it would be quite easy to get Muriel a start, as well as Malinovskyi or Pasalic to fill in for Freuler (who has been excellent as always). Now Papu? It’s nearly impossible to imagine him not in the lineup quarterbacking the club, but perhaps if Ilicic is fully fit, there is less risk of not having Papu in the lineup to cover up for the sometimes embarrassing mishandles of Malinovskyi and Pasalic.
Now Cagliari is never a team to take lightly, late game heroics have provided their season with much drama, and Joao Pedro is a legitimate goal threat. However, I’m getting more comfortable in thinking that we’ve reached a point where tinkering is less and less of a risk, and substitutes can still admirably fill in, be competitive, and deliver points. I’m always looking to the future, and as a baseball fan obsessed with prospects and what could be, I treat football fandom in the same way. What do we have over the next two to three years? Especially (shudder) as Papu and Ilicic continue to climb up in age…. Regardless, I’m sure Gasperini will probably stick to what has been working. 100 Serie A goals has to be on his mind, and netting 2+ against Cagliari is essentially to keep on pace. There’s still a lot to look forward to as we finish off our season, and I’m excited to see if La Dea and Gasperini have any tricks up their sleeves to keep us on our toes? As always, Forza La Dea!
