“I am fortunate to have as managers and as property I have a family with an ability towards me and others to respect the rules of conduct”
Napoli – ” The Scudetto? it’s a catchphrase that they keep repeating to us, perhaps to put pressure on us. The day we are first in the standings, I will also be able to say that we are ready to fight for the Scudetto. ”
Giampiero Gasperini, despite the victory on the field of the first in the standings, keeps his nerve and try not to get excited. ” Our team – he says to Dazn’s microphones – has fantastic characteristics in some respects. Perhaps we still need to try to improve in the technical aspect, sometimes we lose somewhat trivial balls. We are often too wide and too open, but I must say that my players are strong especially in the head and that is our great strength. Tonight after the 2-1 another team could have collapsed. Instead they put an incredible anger into it to the point of overturning the result ”. Gasperini defines ” a gesture of great consideration towards me ” the renewal of the contract which was made official by the Atalanta property.
” My renewals – observes the coach – have always happened like this at Atalanta. They always did it on their word but were not obliged to do so. I am fortunate to have as managers and as property I have a family with an ability towards me and others to respect the rules of conduct that we share. And on this we mainly base our relationship ”.
Luciano Spalletti is embittered but only up to a certain point. ” The defeat bothers me – he says – because the team had a very good match and behaved like a real team. Atalanta won against a real team. There is regret because in some details we could have done something better and also a bit of regret because the doubt was not to be up to it and instead we were very good. ” ” We lost – add Spalletti – because they are a tough team, with a strong club behind them to whom we should congratulate for how the company is running. We were good at managing a good part of the game. The defeat is something that must be accepted, the fact remains of a good performance even if we have not brought home any points. ” ” Atalanta – concludes the Napoli coach – had a great ability to break the action in our half of the pitch, when we should have started, making systematic fouls that do not I’m never a warning. It is also in this that Atalanta should be taken as an example ”.
THE MATCH OF NAPLES
What remains of Napoli, decimated by injuries and forced to give up seven pawns, yields to Atalanta (2-3) to Maradona in a match in which Spalletti’s men are not enough courage and will. The difference in the field between Gasperini’s team and the formation that the Napoli coach manages to put up, stuffed with reserves and with several men in precarious physical conditions, is too clear.
With the victory, Atalanta is two points behind the Azzurri, with the leaders giving up two positions and is now third behind Milan and Inter. Spalletti, who obviously does not trust the athletic conditions of Demme and Politano recently recovered from Covid, puts Malcuit on the right wing of the midfield and Elmas on the opposite side, giving life to an unprecedented 3-5-2 that in the non possession of the ball should turn into a 5-3-2. The strikers are Mertens and Lozano, while Zielinski is inevitably forced to change his traditional role as a sub-striker to that of a full-fledged midfielder.
Atalanta is, as usual, very aggressive in midfield where they try to assert physical superiority over their opponents, thanks also to the man-marking that in that area of the pitch often suffocates the opponents. Napoli got off to a good start, but Atalanta took the lead after only 6 ‘thanks to a cue from Zapata who enters the penalty area and serves Malinovski who hits a left-footed goal and sends the ball to stuff itself under the crossbar. The reaction of the Azzurri is there and could almost immediately lead to a draw, but on the low shot of Mario Rui coming from the left, Lozano with the door wide open in front of him is unable to deflect the ball. Atalanta finds some good ideas, always with Zapata and also goes close to doubling with Pessina who gets the conclusion saved by Ospina.
It was Napoli who found the equalizer in the 40th minute thanks to a blaze from Malcuit on the right. The Frenchman gives the ball to Mertens who in turn serves Zielinski. The Pole concludes for the first time but Musso rejects and on the goalkeeper’s retort finds the way to goal. The second half opens with an unexpected goal from the advantage of Mertens that launched by Malcuit starts from his own half, enters the penalty area and beats Musso. But for Spalletti’s team the victory is just a mirage.
Atalanta begins to grind their game and pours into the opponent’s half. Gasperini’s forwards seem not to have the right aim and then the defenders and midfielders arrive to the rescue to overturn the situation.
At 20 ‘it is even Demiral, launched by Toloi on the right to present himself in front of Ospina and pierce him with a diagonal shot. Six minutes later Freuler takes care of deflecting an Ilicic pass into the net. Napoli tries them all, but the physical and athletic gap between the teams becomes even more evident. In the final Malcuit and especially Petagna are close to scoring, but Atalanta closes the game and takes the victory.
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