Atalanta secured a resounding 5-0 victory against Sturm Graz in the UEFA Champions League, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini offering insights into the team’s performance and future prospects.
The game saw five different scorers for Atalanta, with Mateo Retegui opening the scoring in the 12th minute. Mario Pasalic, Charles De Ketelaere, Ademola Lookman, and Marco Brescianini completed the comprehensive win, ensuring the team’s qualification for the Champions League playoffs.
Speaking after the match, Gasperini was candid about the team’s recent challenges and performance. “We needed this win,” he stated. “In 2025, we weren’t managing to win, so this was crucial. We’ve had a good journey in the Champions League despite a challenging schedule. We were smart in winning against Young Boys, in Stuttgart, and against Shakhtar. We did well today. What we’ve accomplished wasn’t a given at the start of the competition.”
The coach was particularly focused on the upcoming match against Barcelona, emphasizing a balanced approach. “Against Barcelona, we must be bold but not lose our humility,” Gasperini explained. “We’ll see the results tonight and tomorrow to understand the situation, but we’ll approach the game as we’ve approached every match, trying to do our best.”
Gasperini showed excitement about the upcoming challenge, noting the team’s lack of previous encounters with Barcelona. “Barcelona is a great stimulus for us,” he said. “We’ve never met them before, so I don’t know if that’s better or worse. We’ll see what happens. Now we’re also thinking about the league. We’re playing a lot of matches.”
The victory positions Atalanta strongly in the Champions League, with their final group stage match against Barcelona scheduled for January 29th.
