Dea coach Palladino spoke to Mediaset after the match of the first leg of the Italian Cup semi-final which ended 2-2 against Lazio.
A great Atalanta overcame Lazio twice and ended the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final at the Olimpico at 2-2. Satisfaction also emerges from the words of Raffaele Palladino, who on Mediaset after the match praised the attitude of his team and analyzed the match in view of the return leg, focusing in particular on Musah and Samardzic, among the most incisive.
Palladino’s words
Palladino on the match: “We played an excellent match against a good team. It was a balanced match and also pleasant to follow: facing Sarri’s teams is always stimulating because they have quality and know how to put you in difficulty. In the first half we created several opportunities to break the deadlock, but in the last 25 meters we had to be more lucid and determined. We went down twice, but I appreciated the team’s reaction in restarting a match that we cared about a lot. The draw is fair. We played the first half, now the second awaits us in front of our fans.”
Palladino on the second leg: “Everything is open, I’d say 50/50. The 2-2 at their home leaves the semi-final in perfect balance. We want to win the final in front of our fans. There are still several weeks to go, but this performance gives us confidence. We are competing on three fronts and we are proud of the progress we have made so far, but the pace is intense and we need to recover energy quickly.”
The singles: “Musah in the first part of the season he found less space because up front he had players with great continuity such as Ederson, Pasalic and De Roon. With Ederson’s absence he had more opportunities. I already spoke to him last week: I always expect something more from him and from the others. He came in very well both today and in Sassuolo, I congratulate all the substitutes. Samardzic? I like him a lot: he moves well between the lines and, after De Ketelaere’s stop, he is finding greater continuity. However, he must grow in the last 25 metres, improving his quality and choices, because he has goals and assists in his power. We need his contribution.”
