Atalanta and Gian Piero Gasperini Struggle to Shake off European Hangover

“Always drenched in sweat” reads the motto embroidered on the collar of Atalanta shirts.

Always drenched in rain would have been more fitting on Monday night, as a torrential downpour battered Bergamo for five hours, turning the Gewiss Stadium pitch into a quagmire ahead of La Dea’s fixture against Como.

Kick-off was initially delayed by an hour as referee Paride Tremolada inspected the waterlogged surface four times, before eventually deciding to postpone the fixture by 24 hours.

As far as Como were concerned, the wait was worth it. 

An own goal from Sead Kolasinac sandwiched by goals from Gabriel Strefezza and Alieu Fadera in 12 second half minutes cancelled out Davide Zappacosta’s opener and set the visitors on their way to a first Serie A win in 21 years.

Ademola Lookman pulled a goal back in injury time for the hosts, but it was far too late for Atalanta to salvage a point.

The defeat continued a worrying trend for La Dea, who have already lost three times in five Serie A matches this term just three months after lifting the Europa League in Dublin.

Only Verona, Venezia and Cagliari have lost as many games as the Bergamaschi and the fact the latter pair are in the relegation zone speaks volumes for their performances.

Even more worryingly, Atalanta are hemorrhaging goals and have the worst defensive record in Serie A, with 11 goals conceded over five matches. 

“We’ve come out of this game really badly,” Gian Piero Gasperini told DAZN after the final whistle. 

“We definitely didn’t have a good game, Como were better than us. 

“We started well, then little by little we faded away.I thought we looked drained in terms of energy, while they looked more dynamic. 

“We put several of their players in difficulty in the first half, but then we started conceding goals in the second.”

Why Atalanta have looked flat this season

Gasperini is right to be concerned about the lack of energy, for his football is predicated on high-intensity pressing and constant movement.

The attacking brand of football that has made the Bergamaschi a joy to watch since the former Inter Milan took charge eight years ago has been visible only in patches this term.

At the same time, Atalanta’s propensity to pour forward have hitherto exacerbated their defensive struggles.

“We’ve conceded from set pieces in other games, but today we had difficulty in midfield and they often got into our area freely,” Gasperini added. 

“We were below par.” 

Gasperini has studiously avoided using last season’s European triumph as a reason for Atalanta’s slow start this term, but his team have looked depleted of mental resources as much as of physical energy.

It’s hardly a surprise either. 

Atalanta played 56 matches last season, finishing fourth in Serie A and reaching a second Coppa Italia final in three years as well as lifting their first European trophy – and first major silverware since 1963.

Even before they swatted aside Bayer Leverkusen in the final at the Aviva Stadium, Atalanta’s European cavalcade reached incredible heights as they trounced Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield and dispatched Olympique Marseille by the same scoreline at home.

La Dea have qualified for Europe for the past six consecutive years, an extraordinary run for a club that had played European football in just four seasons in the previous 110 years.

How the Europa League triumph led to higher expectations

But as Gasperini acknowledged himself this summer, the Bergamaschi’s rise to European football’s regulars has come with heightened expectations. 

“In the last six years we have got into the Champions League four times,” he said. 

“This season will be our fourth time. 

“We’ve become a major player in the landscape of European football and that’s very different to how it was eight years ago.”

Atalanta’s struggles this season, however, cannot be simply dismissed as a European hangover.

After all, with the notable exception of Teun Koopmeiners, who joined Juventus for €55m (£45.8m),  the squad that triumphed has remained more or less intact.

In fact, La Dea recruited smartly in the summer, with Marco Bresciannini signed on loan from Frosinone with an obligation to buy for €10m to replace Koopmeiners.

Nicolo Zaniolo and Lazar Samardzic arrived on loan from Galatasaray and Udinese respectively, while Charles De Ketelaere made his loan move from AC Milan permanent for €25m.

The same fee went to Torino for Raoul Bellanova, while Ben Godfrey was brought in from Everton for €10m and Odilon Kossounou joined from Bayer Leverkusen for a €5m loan fee, which includes an option to buy next summer for €25m.

After Gianluca Scamacca, last season’s top scorer, was ruled out until January with an ACL injury, La Dea turned to Mateo Retegui, signing the Argentine-Italian from Genoa for €22m.

While Retegui has hit the ground running with four goals in his five Serie A matches and Bresciannini scored a brace on his debut against Lecce, some of the new signings will take time to adjust to Gasperini’s tactical demands. 

The picture, however, is not entirely bleak for Atalanta. 

La Dea was a missed penalty away from beating Arsenal in their Champions League opener and fourth spot remains just three points away.

Pep Guardiola once famously compared playing against Gasperini’s side to going to the dentist. It is now Atalanta’s turn to deal with a toothache of their own.