Atalanta made a triumphant return to form with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday, but coach Gian Piero Gasperini (67) insisted that his players did not require a confidence boost.
The team headed into the match against struggling Verona following a three-game winless streak, which included a defeat in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on Tuesday, alongside draws in both the league and the Champions League.
“These are the kinds of games we thrive on as they give us a lift,” Gasperini remarked during a press conference.
“Confidence? We held Barcelona to a draw and performed well against Como and Torino,” he added.
“There’s no need to restore our confidence; this is a team that consistently rises to the occasion. Those who can’t see that probably aren’t paying close attention.”
The Europa League champions had managed to secure only one win from their last six Serie A outings after an impressive run of 11 consecutive victories.
Gasperini commended his striker Mateo Retegui for his outstanding performance, noting the hat-trick he scored before half-time, followed by another goal after the break.
“He’s remarkable when the team is dominating, just as they did today,” Gasperini said.
“An exceptional goal-scorer with 20 goals in the league already—that’s an astonishing achievement. Although, there are matches where he doesn’t have as much influence, especially when the team has to defend; there’s definitely room for improvement.”
Atalanta’s striker’s impressive form will undoubtedly be an asset as they face Belgian champions Club Brugge on Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs.
“Our goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi had a fever, so we’ll see how he is for Brugge,” Gasperini mentioned.
“Ademola Lookman sustained a significant knock against Napoli, and his availability for Wednesday is uncertain. Sead Kolasinac is dealing with a pulled muscle that has troubled him for several months, so he won’t play.”
“New signing Daniel Maldini joined us on Monday, and I put him on the pitch right away. However, he experienced some discomfort during yesterday’s training session, so we’ll assess him.”
Atalanta will next host Cagliari in the league on February 15.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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