Atalanta clinched a spot in the Europa League quarter-finals after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Sporting, with coach Gian Piero Gasperini calling it a “a great achievement” for the club. La Dea found themselves a goal down heading into the second half, but a quick-fire response with goals from Ademola Lookman and Gianluca Scamacca saw them book a place in the last eight of the competition. Speaking with Sky Sport, Gasperini expressed his happiness with his players performances and his happiness for the fans:
“Such immense joy for the team and all of Bergamo to have once again reached the quarter-finals. It was tough against a team that dominates in Portugal, as we witnessed tonight. The team performed admirably. Overcoming this hurdle and reaching the quarter-finals is a significant achievement. We are satisfied,” Gasperini expressed.
Reflecting on their fifth appearance in the quarter-finals, Gasperini remarked on the team’s performance, stating, “We had an excellent second half, but towards the end, fatigue set in. This experience will serve us well in the future. We lacked the freshness we had in the first half. The players were extraordinary. It’s our sixth match in eighteen days, and we’ve faced formidable opponents throughout. The credit is even more pronounced.”
Looking ahead to the quarter-final draw, Gasperini addressed the prospect of facing Italian opposition, saying, “A derby? With three Italian teams out of eight, the risk is high. If I could choose, I’d prefer it a round later. The draw is unpredictable. All the teams are of absolute quality. When you reach the top eight of the Europa League, you cannot pick your opponents.”
Gasperini concluded by praising the team’s resilience and depth, stating, “The team has an incredible ability to react and recover. I’m pleased because I can rotate many players. At halftime, we were disappointed after feeling we could be dangerous. We were confident in our ability to score. Lookman’s goal gave us the adrenaline to push for the win. Scamacca? He’s improving. He’s working to become a champion, and the expectations on him are high. He played very little last year, but he has improved significantly this year.”
