Europa League, Atalanta-Bayer, Gasperini: “Very heavy things done at Atalanta”

A success that goes close to the Goddess, who after touching 4-1 with a wild Muriel, was pierced by the excellent Diaby, who thus kept the eighth-final of the Europa League with Bayer Leverkusen very open, with the return in Germany in 7 days. Gasperini frames the challenge to the Sky Sport microphones as follows: “Great merit to the players, protagonists of a beautiful match against a fast, strong, difficult opponent with technical quality. Great merit to Atalanta, a great satisfaction even if we were hoping for a better result. wide for how she had done. But we are happy because we would have signed on the eve to go to Germany with two results available “.

crisis behind

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“Atalanta have never had any problems – continues Gasp -. We played some subdued matches as everyone does, even those who are leading the Serie A, they too stumbled. It is a balanced championship. Atalanta has always played his games, almost always with this mentality. If at times he did not collect what he deserved, it was not always his fault … “. And then the technician is pressed on the issue. And as his habit is, he doesn’t mince his words: “I’m talking about all the situations that have arisen on the pitch for 5-6 games in a row: goals taken away and given, penalties taken away and given, certainly together with some performance of ours not height. But we also played against Inter Milan, Lazio, Juve, Rome, Fiorentina twice. We had a very tough calendar, Covid, a blunt attack. Yet we always played with great respect for the opponent, respect that was not there for us. . But it is a conviction that we only have and we react by playing matches like tonight’s. What has been done at Atalanta is very heavy, if you feel like it, go and see it. “

Return

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They ask him if now the qualification is downhill: “No, it will be very hard, we have seen the value of Bayer, and we will go to their house. But we too can hope, we have created many opportunities as we have not done for some time. It will be very difficult but the qualification is very open “. And then on Muriel found after the brace: “He is a player who when he gets injured takes longer to recover, but we have never had any doubts about the value and the ability. Tonight was extraordinary, and I’m not just talking about the two goals “. “Do you regret having won only with a goal difference? – continues the coach – Sorry for the third goal, we knew it was a left footed one, he needed to be protected better. But Bayer is an excellent team, I saw it against Bayern Munich,” we have to be happy, performance like this gives us value “.

Ukraine

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In closing, a thought on the war in Ukraine: “Malinovskyi is moving for what he is experiencing and doing with his wife, as well as the whole team. We spend a lot of time watching what is happening on TV, getting news. This conflict has shocked me more than Covid, which was also very heavy for us. But we are also very close to Miranchuk. The friendship between them is extraordinary. He is almost embarrassed by the situation, he deserves just as much respect. In the end, people count more than flags “.