Date: December 23, 2020
Time: 14:45 EST
Dare we say it, Josip Ilicic has returned?!? After his sublime 2nd half performance against Roma, he absolutely proved me and all the naysayers wrong that prime Ilicic was a thing of the past. One more strong performance would make me a firm believer again, and no better team to do it against than a Bologna squad that hasn’t won since the end of November – against relegation side Crotone. Three points before Christmas would be icing on the cake for a strong finish to 2020, and hopefully put Atalanta right back in the race for a Top 4 finish.
With all the Papu drama that gets stranger and stranger by the day, its incredibly refreshing to have our other playmaker put some of the schoolyard antics going on at Zingonia out of the mind of La Dea faithful. There were some worries in the Juventus match that Atalanta wasn’t able to cope offensively without the influence of Papu – which has some validity – but Ilicic’s performance brings hope back to the Atalanta attack. We have to live with the fact that Papu is probably gone, and the mercurial nature of Malinovskyi and easing of Miranchuk into the lineup had La Dea in quite the precarious situation. However, Ilicic’s performance – even if it was only for 45 minutes – has to have instilled at least a speck of faith back into the squad that was desperate for a consistent playmaking force. If Ilicic is truly back, a 3-4-1-2 with Miranchuk, Ilicic, and Zapata up front has me frothing at the mouth, with the added flexibility to throw in Pessina, Pasalic, or a more defensive minded midfielder in front of the double pivot.
More than anything I love the flexibility afforded in front of the double pivot that comes with an in form Ilicic. It’s perfect for either Pessina/Pasalic or Miranchuk/Malinovskyi for Gasperini to pick and choose how attacking he wants to be. If he wants to go more conservative ala Liverpool, boom put in Pessina, in a game against the likes of Bologna, its the perfect opportunity to throw in an additional attacking force with Miranchuk. Bologna probably doesn’t have the prowess up front to require additional defensive support – although Barrow and Orsolini can be a handful – and I think this is the perfect opportunity to see how the lefties get along together in the lineup.
With the Christmas break coming up – plus January reinforcements coming through in the transfer window (early welcome to Maehle!) – 3 points against the Rossoblu almost feel essential before a huge New Year’s weekend match-up against Sassuolo. In all honesty, the team needs a huge rest. Hateboer and Gosens have to be exhausted on the wings, there’s very little cover for the centerbacks (with Djimsiti and Romero playing nearly every game), and Zapata is gonna eventually keel over with the hard work he puts in every games going toe to toe with the opposition’s strongest defender. Let’s hold on for one more match, and just hopefully Ilicic’s performance is a sign of what to come for him in 2021 – he did come to life right around this time last year. I have faith in the men, and the ability they have to put drama behind them and come together as a team is quite remarkable. Team unity looks strong regardless of what’s happening in the media, just continue to stay focused and keep the eye on the prize! As always, Forza Atalanta!
