Genoa, Atalanta arrives at Marassi. Gasperini: “The rossoblù can play for Europe”

Bergamo – “The bar must always be raised, we must not set limits”. Gian Piero Gasperini, on the eve of the match as a former player at Genoa, invited the jewel De Ketelaere “to confirm himself, because we always talk about him and he is doing important things, but many games are needed to reach a reliable standard”. Principle applicable to all of Atalanta, the fourth strength of the championship: “At Marassi, where they can also play for Europe, the enthusiasm and sense of belonging are an added value to be faced with determination. A test of maturity”. Another key to focus on is continuity, also because the current opponent “is finding it together with great results”.

If the Nerazzurri's positive streak is at five, of which three consecutive victories in Bergamo, it is even eight that of Alberto Gilardino, today's opponent and yesterday's Genoa striker in the 2013-2014 season with Gasperini on the bench. We look at the field factor to be subverted, a mission the Bergamo players succeeded only with Sassuolo, Verona and Empoli, the last one on 30 October: only 11 points out of 39, after all, they were won away from the Gewiss Stadium. “We have grown in self-esteem, as a collective and as an individual, as a phase of realization which is what makes you win. They have raised the technical rate – the comparison of the great ex among the contenders -. Gilardino's Genoa knows how to make you play badly, making himself dangerous on counterattacks and on dead balls.” Absent Lookman, in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations “as a decisive player in the round of 16 and in the quarterfinals; Nigeria is the favorite with the Ivory Coast”, we need to check on the returning Koopmeiners, who was in the pits on Friday with the flu. “I'm bringing three young players, Diao, Bonfanti and Mendicino. There's no Hien who can recover for Sassuolo and Palomino. Touré? He'll have his chance.” For the striker born in 2005 Siren Diao Balde, a winter addition from Verona, is the first call-up after his first goal in Vercelli in the Under 23 shirt. If Pasalic climbs into the midfield next to De Roon, due to Ederson's disqualification, there is the defection of the Illustrious departure Muriel, direction Orlando City: “Players like him are almost immortal because they are destined to always be remembered, the back-heel goal against Milan is worth more than a trophy – concludes Gasperini -. We are not the same Atalanta of the Champions League times, but we are aiming always making the leap in quality through the attacking phase and goals. I'm 3 short of scoring 700 for Atalanta: I've always set up my football this way. And we want to give feelings of admiration to those who come to see us.”