Hello friends, it has definitely been awhile. With so much history drumming about in Northern Italy, I knew it was time to break the silence. Life gets in the way sometimes, but the most momentous of events call for squeezing out some time to celebrate.
And boy, has Atalanta given us reason to celebrate!
A comprehensive handling of Marseille adds another chapter to Gian Piero Gasperini and Atalanta’s fairy tale run. And when we finally thought that the moving on of the old guard would signal a period of stagnation in Bergamo, the squad did what we never thought was possible – ascend even further. Coppa Italia finals are one thing, but a European final! That’s reserved for Europe’s elite, right? Not anymore.
Atalanta continues to push the envelope as to what’s possible, and this iteration of Gasperini’s madness may be his best.
Its difficult to find a starting point, but everything on Thursday starts with Atalanta’s intensity. Intense pressing, intense offense, intense scoring efforts have defined the Atalanta error, but it was at another level against Marseille. Isak Hien set the tone off which everyone reverberated, Marten de Roon was a man possessed following Amin Harit everywhere, and the rest of the squad vibed off of that.
Goals were eventually bound to come, and its only fair to ask how Atalanta can be so prolific against Europe’s best, but so pedestrian against relegation candidates. Its possible to question continuous motivation, and once players and clubs get used to midweek nights in Europe, other matches probably just don’t hit the same. Fortunately for La Dea, nearly every match for the rest of the season is filled with extreme rewards for the victor.
The Duality of the Wingback
The next time we try to play arm chair scout or analyst, let us all remember the growth and development of Matteo Ruggeri. Once thought of as the gangly teenager that ran like he was half squatting, he has suddenly turned into one of the best Italian left backs. Development comes in all shapes, sizes, and speeds – and good talent evaluators have the patience to let players develop at the pace they need to. Not only has Ruggeri developed into an autostart at left wingback, it saves the club millions of annual dollars trying to find the next Robin Gosens replacement.
Even during the season, the transformation has been evident. First, a one trick pony with a mean left-footed cross, he has now cemented the left side of the field coupling it with proper anticipation. I fully think that Sead Kolasinac guiding him through the season did wonders for him – making the Bosnian one of the best signings Atalanta has ever made, fortifying two positions simultaneously.
On his opposite side Davide Zappacosta demonstrates a new type of duality – unplayable versus unstartable. A firm bench player before Emil Holm’s injury, Zappacosta found new life in the Europa League terrorizing opposition left wing backs down the flanks. His energy was contagious during Europa League quarters and semifinals, and he could have easily found himself a few more assists if he was able to channel his fireball nature while blasting toward goal.
Why he’s unable to demonstrate this aptitude and energy game in and game out is irrelevant. A player that thrives when the stakes are highest are absolutely necessary in long championship runs. And now he has two finales to put opponents back on their heels.
The Difference Between Teun Koopmeiners and Aleksei Miranchuk
Both lefties have a certain level of offensive competence and deserve a place in Gasperini’s rotation. But when Koopmeiners gets the ball, he turns into a killer. He’s not the paciest player, but when he gets space and starts dribbling his assertiveness takes over it causes defenses fits. MIranchuk cannot run at defenses, and needs to fit into the vibe off the offense – Koopmeiners creates the vibe.
While the Dutchman’s future remains uncertain this offseason, there isn’t one player that Atalanta should be looking to double his wages to have him stay. He transformed himself into one of the best attacking midfielders in the league, and it feels strange to think of him as a double pivoter any more. If Gianluca Scamacca can earn more than 5 million euros annually (which he deserves), Koopmeiners certainly merits that sort of cash. The ultimate question becomes- is a 60M+ euros cash prize for Koopmeiners worth more than the value he’ll provide on the pitch? Make me the general manager for a day – he stays, perhaps for life!
Looking Forward to May 22
We’ll get more into the match when its time, but it is so fitting that Atalanta’s final boss is truly the final boss of all final bosses. One can argue that Atalanta got the most difficult Round of 16 matchup – Sporting Lisbon, and the most difficult quarterfinal opponent – Liverpool. Marseille in the semis misses the mark a bit, but Bayer Leverkusen couldn’t be a more perfect opponent to finish off a grueling European run.
On paper this Leverkusen squad has many of the same pieces that Atalanta faced two years ago in the Europa League Round of 16. Florian Wirtz is still a stud, Exequiel Palacios still marshals the middle, and nearly the entire defense of Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba, Piero Hincapie, and Jeremie Frimpong are still protecting the goal of Lukas Hradecky.
What’s different of course is the tutelage from Xabi Alonso. So impactful it has been that Leverkusen are a few matches away from pulling off one of the most improbable runs in football history. Unbeaten in all competitions, while winning a treble. That’s Leicester winning the Premier League territory.
They’re a juggernaut, but also the exact type of opponent that Atalanta has risen to the occasion to handle this season. A winner take all game makes the draw far more reasonable for the improbable to happen. And with how the Europa League has turned out for La Dea this season, we know that Gasperini’s squad will be ready to rise to the occasion.
But until we reach that point, let Bergamo take the time it needs to celebrate one of the most important nights in its football heritage. Nights like these are rare for any team of any budget (just ask PSG) and as optimistic as we want to be about the future, its tough to foresee when this type of celebration will come back into the northern provinces. So let’s post these memories in two places: the scrapbook and the blueprints. Hold on tight to memories, and hope that we’re only partially through the weird and wonderful Atalanta saga.
Until the next round of finals, Forza Dea!
