FOR cynical football fans, there was plenty of ammunition this past week. Manchester City pummelled Watford in one of the most one-sided FA Cup finals in history, while each of Europe’s top five leagues was won by the same team who finished in top spot last summer.
Seeing Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain all follow Pep Guardiola’s men in repeating as Champions, it is easy to say that the richest clubs continue to prosper. In many cases, it has certainly made domestic competitions less interesting, perhaps nowhere more than in Italy where Juve won for the eighth consecutive year.
That they did so with five games to spare only reinforces how dominant they have become, but a closer look at the Serie A table shows that not only are there intriguing stories to be found, there is also a very real possibility that a minnow can still triumph.
We are in for a wild finish next weekend on the final matchday of Serie A. Only two of Atalanta, Milan, and Inter will qualify for the Champions League next season while four teams are still battling relegation.
— Get Italian Football News (@_GIFN) May 20, 2019
Below the Bianconeri and second-placed Napoli sit three teams vying for the final two Champions League berths, with two of them needing no introduction. Inter and AC Milan are fighting to return to UEFA’s elite competition, both desperate for the financial windfall that comes with it, not to mention the chance to rebuild their somewhat tarnished images.
However, currently occupying third place and knowing a win this weekend would secure that position, tiny Atalanta are seeking to pull off a minor miracle. They are somehow succeeding despite playing on a wholly uneven field, the difference in financial power between them and their rivals almost laughable.
Indeed, according to this annual report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, only six clubs in Serie A have a smaller wage bill than Atalanta’s spending of €27 million. Juve (€219m) of course sit top of that table too, with Milan (€140m) and Inter (€116m) in second and third respectively. That only seven members of each San Siro-based squad earn less than Atalanta’s top earner (Papu Gomez, €1.6m per year) further highlights that gulf, but it has certainly not been reflected in their results.
Atalanta have unquestionably gleaned maximum value from their outlay, with coach Gian Piero Gasperini galvanising his squad via a system that maximises their strengths and masks their weaknesses. The simplest way to explain what he has done is to label La Dea as “Ajax Lite,” their approach reflecting many of the principles so readily associated with the Dutch side; a high press followed by direct passes into their attacking players.
Atalanta's goal this season comes vs Juventus. I N S A N E ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/ljIPFo4tXD
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) May 19, 2019
Seeking to score goals as quickly as possible, their tally of 74 goals is a league high and their uptempo approach has seen them record wins over Italy’s biggest clubs. They eliminated Juventus on their way to a place in the Coppa Italia final and drew with them twice in Serie A, while also recording victories against Napoli, Inter and Lazio.
“We’ve been in this absolute focus for months, in an incredible run of fixtures,” Gasperini told reporters at a press conference last week. “But we manage to recharge our physical and psychological batteries every time. Maybe we’ve become accustomed to it, but undoubtedly that is a great strength for Atalanta to have!”
It is, and having bought their stadium on a long-term lease from the local council, Atalanta have already begun renovating the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia, fully modernising it to give them another small edge over their competitors. They have used the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia to host their last two home games of 2018/19 and there is no small irony in the fact that their decisive fixture on Sunday will see them as the nominal “home” side against Sassuolo despite the match being held at their opponents ground.
La Curva Pisani non c’è più
La squadra @Despe_Spa è stata velocissima La demolizione in 2 minutihttps://t.co/zGn9kHSktn#AtalantaLife #GoAtalantaGo ⚫️ pic.twitter.com/e7zgBNXqw0
— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) May 9, 2019
Inter will not care however, needing a point from their last outing against an Empoli side who also need a result to avoid relegation. Losing 4-1 last weekend really has put the Nerazzurri in a difficult spot, much to the annoyance of boss Luciano Spalletti, a man whose job is under threat no matter what happens on Sunday.
“It can happen to lose against Napoli, but not like this,” the coach told Sky Italia. “Now the next match really is a final and we can’t get that wrong! We see this as a fundamental match, it’s do or die, and we have to show the character, sharpness, clear heads and quality of a team that represents the city of Milan and must get back into the Champions League!”
Their crosstown rivals will be waiting to take advantage of any slip ups however, taking on an opponent with nothing left to play for. “We’re only one point behind Inter and Atalanta so anything is possible,” striker Krzysztof Piatek said at the weekend. “It’s a difficult time for us, but we hope to beat SPAL and that the other results go our way. We believe in qualification for the Champions League.”
Like Spalletti, Gennaro Gattuso is in danger of being replaced this summer, while Gasperini has been linked with a move to AS Roma after his impressive work this term. Whatever happens, it is sure to be a final day linked with drama, intrigue and plot twists as the three games kick off simultaneously.
Who said Serie A was boring?
Latest odds to finish in the top four: Atalanta 1/14, Inter 1/9, Milan 6/4, Roma 150/1
