Gian Piero Gasperini and his players are probably still thinking about how they slipped such a historic achievement through their fingers.
However, that Atalanta made it so far in the Champions League last season was no accident and they confirmed it at the start of the 2020/21 season.
Gasperini has built a team that many consider to be the most exciting and exciting in Europe. Liverpool will have their hands full when they travel to Bergamo this week.
Atalanta’s 2-1 away win against Crotone on Saturday gave Jürgen Klopp an insight into what his team can expect on Tuesday evening.
It was a typical attack-oriented performance of Black and Blues, in which 18 shots were registered in the 90 minutes. They could have been out of sight at halftime, they had so many chances.
Much has been said about Liverpool’s current deficits in the back, with Virgil van Dijk fearing he would be sidelined for the remainder of the season and Fabinho and Joel Matip also bearing punches.
For the most part, the Reds still have enough quality behind to see them through the games, but Atalanta will be a tougher test than most of the teams.
Indeed, it could be argued that they are the worst team Liverpool have faced in their current state.
Atalanta was built to expose defensive weaknesses in the sides they face, and they are very effective at doing so. Serie A entertainers have a chaos factor that makes them extraordinarily difficult to defend.
What Gasperini built in Bergamo almost contradicts logic. Atalanta was not funded by a billionaire or a Gulf state. It’s not even like a golden generation of young players has gone through the academy the way it can happen at a club further down the ladder.
Instead, Atalanta’s success is due to good coaching and smart recruiting. In that respect they are not that different from Liverpool.
For more information on Atalanta, check out Blood Red’s latest Behind Enemy Lines podcast HERE
There are also similarities between the two sides in the way Gasperini urges his full-backs to be broad and creative. Robin Gosens on the left and Hans Hateboer on the right are crucial to Atalanta’s game. The former already has two assists from five Serie A games this season.
Atalanta could do without Gosens in the game against Liverpool, with the German missing against Crotone due to injury. Johan Mojica played for Gosens over the weekend and that allowed Gasperini to maintain the form that has worked so well for him.
Of course we will cover the story to the end with all the updates until van Dijk is back on the pitch in a Reds shirt.
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However, Atalanta could do without Hateboer on the other side for the Liverpool game, with the Dutchman retired with an injury before the end against Crotone.
Likewise, Cristian Romero could not finish the 90 minutes on Saturday because he was withdrawn in one fell swoop.
The Argentine defender will now have doubts about the Liverpool clash, adding to Atalanta’s rising injury worries as Marten de Roon is sidelined after beating Crotone.
Liverpool will almost certainly face a three on Tuesday night, with Gasperini’s side forged in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
This system has been central to Atalanta’s success over the past three seasons, as Gasperini geared much of his philosophy to leveraging his first two from Luis Muriel and Duvan Zapata.
That is the constant of his team. Liverpool can count on this highly pressing and highly intensive midfield unit at the Gewiss Stadium. Atalanta is exceptional at winning the ball in the opposing half.
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Despite all their attacking power, Atalanta often gives up many opportunities.
That was certainly the case against Crotone when Mojica Junior Messias presented the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make it 2-1. The Crotone striker rounded off Marco Sportiello so that a final attack would take the ball off his foot.
Behind the back of the Atalanta wing there was also space for Arkadiusz Reca to take advantage of him on the left. Klopp will certainly do that on Tuesday with people like Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
This was a game that showed both the good and the bad of Atalanta and underscored why the Champions League clash with Liverpool could be unforgettable.
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