The Goddess is one point away from reaching first place in the Europa League group. The former Milan player was stopped by a muscle problem in his abdominal muscles, while Zappacosta, Toloj and Palomino were also out. 4 Under 23s called up
In its favorite garden (not just this year), Atalanta tries to find its best version: with some ups and downs, but in Europe (League) it has always offered it. Especially in the first leg in Lisbon: for 45 minutes, the first, the best Dea this season.
avoid mistakes
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Giorgio Scalvini also thinks so, who “opened” the match by scoring the 1-0: «It will be important to replicate that first half and a team performance will be needed: then, being able to score again would always be a good thing. We analyzed Saturday’s errors against Napoli to see what to do better: we will certainly have to use our heads a lot to avoid stumbling into certain errors again.”
a tie for first place
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It is above all thanks to that victory at Alvalade that tomorrow afternoon (6.45 pm) a draw will be enough for Gian Pietro Gasperini’s team to be certain of the lead in the group, and with a day to spare. Two results out of three available, and what changes – said the coach – «is that it will be like starting a match with the advantage. But we cannot think of not playing it: we will have to be good at interpreting it according to our characteristics and the qualities of Sporting. Beyond the result, the performance and the ability to compete with this team will be important. Which for me is worth one of the best Italian teams.”
the choices
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Gasperini announces the use of Musso in goal (“Already planned, Carnesecchi’s mistake on Saturday has nothing to do with it”) and hammers home the question of performance, and not from today: “The team also satisfied me against Inter and Naples, beyond the defeats. It is a moment of great balance, both in Italy and in Europe and when this is the case the episodes become decisive: we must be better at bringing them to our side, because so far we have collected little. We are fine, even from a mental point of view. Of course, not having won could take away a bit of enthusiasm, but luckily we play every three days, there’s no time to sit there and think about it.”
eighth goal
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It’s also better not to think about the first leg, to avoid conditioning: «Every match is different, it must be evaluated on the pitch. Overall, despite the difficulties Sporting created for us in the second half, the result in Lisbon was fair. I don’t know whether to expect an immediately aggressive Sporting, because they have to try to win, or a more wait-and-see team: perhaps both, certainly the best Sporting. Amorim says it’s difficult to understand how Atalanta plays? We hope to create a little more tactical confusion for him, but now I believe that today, also thanks to videos, we can know very well how we play. Our strong goal is to get directly to the round of 16: we will put all our strength into it. Being first in the group would mean being able to concentrate until March only on the championship and the Italian Cup, which among other things consists of one-off matches. So for two or three months it would mean always having everyone to work: especially Scamacca, De Ketelaere and Touré, with more continuity of presence, training and matches.”
CDK out
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No Sporting Lisbon for Charles De Ketelaere. The muscle injury to the left internal abdominal oblique forced the Belgian to raise the white flag on the eve of the European match. In addition to the former Milan player, Davide Zappacosta (who left early against Napoli), Rafael Toloi (problem with the medial twin of the right leg) and José Palomino (semitendinosus muscle of the left thigh), as well as the long-term patient El Bilal Toure, out from start of the season due to the rupture of the insertion of the right rectus femoris tendon. Among mister Gasperini’s squad for the match against the Portuguese there are also four youngsters promoted from the Under 23s. They are Giovanni Bonfanti, a centre-back who made his Serie A debut against Napoli, the defender Tommaso Del Lungo, the striker Moustapha Cisse and the classy midfielder 2006 Leonardo Mendicino.
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