La Dea is gearing up for a crucial Champions League clash against Celtic, and manager Gian Piero Gasperini has made it clear that his team is ready for the challenge. In a pre-match press conference, Gasperini shared his analysis of Celtic, Atalanta’s evolution, and his vision for a match brimming with intensity.
«Our last two victories have given our league position a boost, but this is a different competition,» Gasperini declared, acknowledging the match’s significance in the Champions League context. «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.»
Gasperini expects an exciting and competitive encounter: «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 Italian manager recognized Celtic’s attacking threat: «They attack with many men, we’ll have to be very good at withstanding their speed and their ability to score many goals.»
Gasperini also stressed the need to be wary of Celtic’s inconsistent form: «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.»
Regarding striker Mateo Retegui, Gasperini said: «We’ve already said everything about him. He can do even more, he can still grow.»
Gasperini referenced Celtic’s playing style: «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.»
Reflecting on Atalanta’s Champions League journey, Gasperini said: «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.»
The encounter between Atalanta and Celtic promises to be a clash of styles and strategies, and Gasperini seems to have a clear vision of what it takes to achieve a positive outcome. Stay tuned to FutbolItalia for more insights into Serie A and Italian football!
