With Atalanta set to face Lecce away from home tomorrow evening, Gasperini previewed the fixture in the press.
Despite obtaining the lead against Napoli at the Gewiss Stadium as a result of a converted penalty from Ademola Lookman, the Lombardy club fell short in a 2-1 defeat to Spalletti’s side following two quick-fire goals from Victor Osimhen and Elmas prior the end of the first half.
Consequently, La Dea have dropped into fourth place with a total of 27 points, finding themselves separated from Napoli by eight points. With both Juventus and Inter covering ground after their sluggish starts to the lead, three points at the Via Del Mare stadium is vital.
While speaking to the media, as relayed by Milan-based journal La Gazzetta dello Sport, Gasperini provided his perspective of the Gialloblu and his squad’s growth since the start of the campaign:
It will not be easy because Baroni’s squad is a dynamic team, which has put important opponents in difficulty and when it has lost it has always done so to measure, as with Juve. But with Napoli I saw an Atalanta who had it all: technique, intensity, rhythm and also progress from the point of view of quality, of the ball game on the ground in speed, and against a master team in all this: from Saturday they are still more convinced that this is our way.”
There are two days left before the long break for the World Cup: in these two abundant months I have seen many players grow, it is also the time to give the club a way to make assessments for the future. The ranking is the only thing I don’t look at today, in the sense that our final placement is not a priority: my yardstick, even if different from that of many, is not talking about Atalanta from the Champions League, from Europe or otherwise. I say this not because I am not interested in achieving results – we always do maximum, and this is what reality says – but because I have to put the club in a position to have a good future. And therefore I have to give alternatives so that it can make its choices and operate well.”
