A not brilliant Atalanta brings home a complicated match and returns to the Champions League area. Spezia loses fighting.
– Midweek matches, you know, are always gods rollercoaster. Atalanta-Spezia has not been denied, a game with 3 faces. First half completely of the Atalanta brand in which Spezia seemed, however, to be able to be in control simply by limiting the two pivots deployed by Gasperini, well controlled by Wisniewski and Nikolaou. First part of the second half arrembante aside of Gasperini’s men, who could have scored 4 goals in 15 minutes but who, guilty, did not close a game suddenly reopened by Bourabia, launched by Shomurodov, who pushed Spezia to believe in it until the end. Only the crossbar hit by Daniele Verde a few seconds from the end stopped the chase of the eagles. A neurasthenic game, as per the classic midweek shift;
– Watching Atalanta play, however, is always fascinating. Paradoxically even more when Gasperini’s team finds less space, as during the first half this afternoon. In the open field, as we know, the qualities of the Nerazzurri are enhanced and the first quarter of an hour at full throttle at the start of the first half bears witness to this. But it is the interchange of positions to try to find the right passage that is a topic of study for the Coverciano classes. It seems clear to us that Atalanta is not the devastating team that scared the fields of half of Europe a few years ago but the human capital that Gasperini has at its disposal remains of the highest level;
– And this is where we feel like saying that probably we are facing the squad whose potential was least exploited by the coach from Grugliasco in all his years of stay in Bergamo. Perhaps never like this in the face of 23 practically equivalent players, Gasperini has never managed to find his ideal 11, often changing formation and playing offensively. Beyond the Toloi, De Roon and Koopmeiners totems, this year we were faced with different versions of Atalanta. Solutions that probably meant that the team lost some of the automatic mechanisms that she had been able to assimilate over the years. And when Atalanta don’t play by heart and are forced to “improvise” they drop dramatically, giving their opponents time to play. Like today, when, leading by two goals, he conceded the 3-2 and risked not winning the game on several occasions;
– Semplici presented his Spezia this afternoon with the usual 433, with the novelty of Ampadu lined up in front of the defence. The team immediately seemed more orderly, the Welshman’s presence and geometry seemed to be able to give confidence to his teammates. The game, however, has been in hiding. The ball in, ball out is too banal and Atalanta didn’t make too much effort to defuse the offensive gusts of the first half. The goals, however sporadic, are a note of merit to the stubbornness of the La Spezia players. The high reconquest of the ball is certainly one of the points on which Semplici has worked the most and it shows. On the other hand, however, too many carelessness on set balls cost too much. Out of three episodes from a standstill, Spezia managed to concede three goals due to the lack of desire to win back the second ball. Generally it is from these details that salvations are reached;
– Third consecutive win for Atalanta which, with these three points, forcefully reappears at the top of the rankings. Waiting to see the results of the Milanese and Roma, the Nerazzurri are currently in fourth place, which would mean taking part in the next Champions League. After a year without European cups it would be a very important result for the team and for the club, which would have the opportunity to grow further. With Atalanta-Juventus upon us, the goal could soon become more realistic than ever. For Spezia the situation is getting more difficult than ever. Next Sunday’s away match in Cremona represents a real crossroads for the station. To be able to believe in salvation, three points will be needed, always difficult to win against Ballardini’s teams. Hoping to be able to find Nzola again.