Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini addressed the media ahead of his team’s crucial Champions League match against Celtic. The Italian coach expressed optimism about his side’s recent form and their approach to the game (as quoted by TMW).
Gasperini began by highlighting the importance of the match: “Our last two victories have given a boost to our league position, but this is a different competition. Points start to become more crucial in the third round, and we already have the opportunity to consolidate a better position in the Champions League as well.”
When asked about the nature of the upcoming match, Gasperini emphasized his hope for an attractive game: “I always hope for a beautiful and enjoyable football match. There’s always a competitive element that must stay within the rules, but both teams are used to this. Celtic is a team accustomed to playing to win, they have fast players, and we’ll need to play an excellent game to try and win this match.”
The Atalanta boss praised Celtic’s attacking prowess: “They attack with many men, we’ll have to be very good at withstanding their speed and their ability to score many goals.”
Addressing the challenge of preparing for a team with contrasting performances in their first two matches, Gasperini cautioned: “In the Champions League, you have to be careful because there are some top teams against which if you make a mistake, you can really concede goals. We will never make the mistake of only considering one of their bad games. We must be very attentive.”
Gasperini also commented on the progress of striker Mateo Retegui: “We’ve already said everything about him. He can do even more, he can still grow.”
When asked about Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, Gasperini noted: “Celtic is an offensive team, like those that aspire to win. If you want to win, you have to score goals. It’s a great team in Scotland, and it’s right that their football is offensive.”
The Italian coach reflected on Atalanta’s Champions League journey: “When we had our first experiences where we conceded many goals, we learned something afterwards, but we never gave up our way of seeing football.”
Gasperini concluded by discussing his team’s evolution: “We discover our placement every year through evolution and the integration of new players. We rarely manage to follow up on the previous season, we discover everything by playing. Certainly, we must grow and improve every time. This year we are on the same wavelength, we started with some results, but the negative one was against Como. In Turin, we played a good game, and the Champions League is the competition that helps us improve in the league as well. If we have depth and capacity for growth, games like tomorrow help us make quality leaps.”
