Gasperini: “Let’s forget the first leg, with Liverpool the most important match in Atalanta’s history.” Klopp: “Scamacca fantastic”

BERGAMO – A historic evening. After the triumph at Anfield, with Scamacca’s brace and the third goal scored in a tap-in by Pasalic, Atalanta is preparing to receive the Liverpool in the second leg of the quarter-finals of Europa League. “It is one of the most important matches in Atalanta’s history, if not the most important. We will have to know how to isolate ourselves from everything. It’s the result that counts,” the Nerazzurri coach gives energy Gian Piero Gasperini. And he remembers how, in this edition of the cup, Atalanta has never lost. “We were certainly not favorites in the first leg, but now we have a chance, as we also have in the Italian Cup. Some matches we play well, others less so, as is normal, but we have great enthusiasm and with this we will face the month ahead of us.”

The spirit of the first leg

Thinking back to the perfection of the first leg, what Gasperini would like to see on the pitch is above all the attitude of his players: “More than tactical surprises, what we will have to have is the desire to get the result. Losing would be unacceptable. We will have to go on the pitch to qualify without thinking about the result of the first leg,” he said. An attitude which, according to him, was not lacking even on Monday in the championship match, which Verona came from behind to draw in Bergamo after Atalanta’s double lead: “The other evening’s match is one of the very good ones. We are in an excellent moment,” said the coach. And he was delighted by the fact that, with the exception of the Morosini curve, the entire stadium is usable, despite the renovation works.

The best Liverpool possible

Despite the heavy deficit from the first leg, Liverpool remains a big player in European football: “The difficulty is that we are facing a great team. We start again from 0-0. We won’t have to think about the result of the first leg, and concentrate only on our match” explained Gasperini: “I expect the best Liverpool possible, a team that will come here to play all its chances. We will have to counter them and get the result.” Klopp’s team, losing at home to Crystal Palace last Sunday, slipped to second place in the Premier League. And for the fourteenth time this season, the first goal of the match was by an opponent. But on six of these occasions, the Reds were then able to overturn the result. “In any case, we will have to be concentrated and know how to go beyond the episodes,” said Gasp.

The market rumors on Koopmeiners

As for the rumors about the possible destinations of Buyers, linked to Juventus and several Premier League clubs, Gasperini responded with a joke: “Koopmeiners is playing with us and is playing well. We have the cups to play. There are clubs that are perhaps less busy, have more free time, and wonder whether or not it is right that Atalanta is still in Europe. This is why they occupy their time with market rumors.” On the rumors that Gasperini is a possible successor to Klopp at Liverpool, the manager responded with a joke: “This is the period of comparisons, if there was interest it would be pleasant. But now let’s think about the games we have to face.” From Scam, hero of the first leg, Gasp continues to speak with caution. Some time ago he said that the center forward, “he is not a champion, but he works to become one”. This time, he dribbled a question about the player’s importance for the team in such an important match: “He will be fundamental, as they all are.”

De Roon’s charge

The Dutch midfielder presented himself at the conference with Gasperini Marten de Roon, who arrived in Bergamo in 2015. “I believe that all of Italy will be with us, not just Bergamo. In our house we will have the same mentality and the same intensity.” On the fact that Atalanta has never played in a Europa League semi-final, he said: “It’s the dream of all of us and we want to fight, putting in an important performance.” As for the conversations that the players had among themselves in the locker room, the 33-year-old from Zwijndrecht said: “We said to ourselves that we have to enjoy the evening and remember that, just as they can put us in difficulty, we can do it with them too.” De Roon then spoke of the draw with Verona, “a match in which we could have closed the first half four-nil” and of the fact that Atalanta, busy on multiple fronts, finds itself playing very often at this end of the season: “We are used to playing every three or four days. It’s nice to train by playing. It is better that way. Tiredness doesn’t count.”

Klopp’s mea culpa for the first leg

“At Anfield everyone thought, ‘it’s over’. After a week we can be good or bad, but we are 1000 percent focused on winning.” This is how he introduced himself to the reporters Jurgen Klopp: “We need to get back to being an organized Liverpool. A big part of the game plan is not to concede goals.” Salah should return to the starting lineup. But Klopp doesn’t focus on the individuals: “Last week we didn’t play well, Atalanta did very well. Scam he was fantastic, a complete striker who is a good option as Italy’s centre-forward. We have to score and then see how much time he will miss.” We need to do better in possession and be more consistent without it.”

Alisson’s charge

The goalkeeper also spoke for the Reds Alissonupon returning from the first minute, as Alexander-Arnold: “Since my time at Roma, Atalanta has always been strong physically, technically and tactically, marking to man. It was clear that in the first leg they had prepared the match for us. Defensive solidity does not depend only on the defenders, It starts with recovering the ball.” The former Giallorossi player concludes like this: “We need to get back to making clear opportunities. I trust our attackers a lot. The objective is to improve our performance as a collective, which is something we weren’t able to do in the last match.”