WINNING the ball back with a quick tackle, Atalanta full-back Hans Hateboer picked out Duvan Zapata with a great ball, the Colombian international easily winning the header over Mattia De Sciglio. Picking it up on the halfway line, team-mate Mario Pasalic knocked a simple pass to Timothy Castagne before he in turn played it to the feet of advancing skipper Papu Gomez.
The no.10 drove straight at the Juventus defence before finding Zapata, who was now on the edge of the box. Turning, the powerful striker hit a shot that Wojciech Szczesny had no chance of stopping, and suddenly the Bergamo-based side were 2-0 ahead against a side who have dominated Italian football for the past eight seasons.
In the last four of those campaigns, the Bianconeri have lifted both the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia, but this was the match that eliminated them from the latter competition this time around. Castagne had already scored, robbing Rodrigo Bentancur deep in Juve territory before smashing home a superb individual effort, while Zapata would grab another before the full time whistle blew.
After knocking out Juventus, Atalanta now take down Fiorentina to move on to the Coppa Italia FINALS!
What a team this is pic.twitter.com/Z4RbooTO0w
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) April 25, 2019
It was a victory that was not only richly deserved, but one which also underlined the very best qualities of the current Atalanta side, who might well win the Coppa Italia and qualify for the Champions League for the first time in club history.
Juventus – with their modern stadium, clear business plan and a new club badge which is undeniably a corporate logo rather than any representation of their footballing history – are rightly viewed as the most cutting edge Italian club. However, if the Bianconeri are the standard bearers which the rest of Serie A must seek to emulate off the field, then what Atalanta are doing on the pitch is a shining example that even the Turin giants should look to replicate.
Across the continent this season, teams are abandoning the quest for possession in favour of ramming the ball down their opponent’s throat at every opportunity, pouring forward in huge numbers with the sole aim of creating a chance to score as quickly as possible.
Done with focus, cohesion and a detailed defensive scheme, this is an approach that is nowhere near as reckless as it sounds, and it is a style with which Liverpool, Manchester City, Ajax and many others are enjoying great success. Simon Kuper of ESPN labelled it “storming,” while in Germany it is known as “Gegenpressing” which is essentially crowding an opponent in their own half the moment you lose possession.
Winning it back as close to their goal as possible, this counter pressing has led to a sharp decline in both the number of passes before a team scores, and the time on the ball before each goal. UEFA’s own report on the 2017/18 Champions League found that the average goal was scored after just 10.62 seconds of ball possession, a figure which represented an 8% decline on the previous two years.
23 – #Atalanta will play their 4th Coppa Italia Final, the first since 1996 (23 years ago). Heaven. #AtalantaFiorentina
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) April 25, 2019
"No playmaker in the world can be as good as a good counter-pressing situation,” Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports, and Gian Piero Gasperini undoubtedly agrees as he has Atalanta playing that exact same style. Sure, they do it using the 3-4-3 formation that the 61-year-old has always favoured, but watching La Dea in action is no different to seeing what Liverpool or Ajax have done this term.
There is a vibe to the club that would undoubtedly be appreciated in Amsterdam too as, after losing Franck Kessie, Leonardo Spinazzola, Roberto Gagliardini and Mattia Caldara to bigger clubs, they have improved thanks to other unheralded players. In turn, Robin Gosens, Timothy Castagne, Marten de Roon and other squad members have become as coveted as those who left earlier, yet the real secret is the approach of Gasperini.
They have scored 68 goals, a tally which is joint-first in Serie A alongside Juve, the Atalanta system managing to match a team which boasts Cristiano Ronaldo, Mario Mandzukic, Douglas Costa, Juan Cuadrado, Federico Bernardeschi, Miralem Pjanic and Paulo Dybala.
If that sounds like solid evidence that Klopp was right about the system being better than any individual, then it is supported by statistics from WhoScored.com which show Gasperini’s men lead the league in terms of take-ons (9.9), assists (53) and interceptions (12.3).
It is a style that even this ultra-dominant Juve have no answer to, drawing 2-2 in the league before that 3-0 capitulation in the cup. Atalanta have already enjoyed a Europa League adventure, but last week saw them finally make huge steps towards their first tangible success as they reached the Coppa Italia final for only the fourth time in the club’s history.
Milan need AT LEAST 10 points from these final four games in order to have any shot at CL. Milan need Atalanta to lose one of those games. Milan desperately need Roma to lose against Juventus and draw one of the other three games. I don’t think Torino beats either Juve or Lazio. pic.twitter.com/XZxxsgEcpa
— (@WhatGattusoMad) May 1, 2019
A victory over Udinese on Monday also moved them into fourth place, putting Gasperini’s men in the box seat to secure a Champions League berth. The race is extremely tight with just four points separating five teams and while the veteran Coach knows it will not be easy, he believes his side have what it takes to hold on.
“If we win all our remaining matches the other teams can’t catch us,” he told Sky Italia this week. “They are very balanced games, but we remain confident as we are playing with a desire and a belief that we can do something special.”
The truth is, they already have. With their own stadium set to be rebuilt over the next three years, they too are learning to take care of the business aspects that are essential to sustained success, but it is on the pitch where the real magic is happening.
Papu Gomez, Josip Illicic and Duvan Zapata deserve special mentions, but it is undeniably Gasperini and his system that are truly making the difference. Next weekend a clash with cup final opponents Lazio awaits, but rather than a dress rehearsal, this will be a battle for three crucial points and a chance to further tighten their grip on fourth place.
It must be hoped that Italy’s biggest clubs are paying attention to the one Serie A team who has embraced the counter-pressing revolution, Atalanta once again prepared to “storm” their way to victory.
