The Gewiss Stadium hosted a match between two top-six sides in Serie A between Atalanta and Napoli this weekend. This tactical analysis will break down the game that ended 2-0 to Atalanta.
Atalanta, led by Gian Piero Gasperini, looked to utilise the strength of their wing-backs and looked to create opportunities down the flanks to send balls directly into the feet of their forwards in the box. These tactics have been present throughout the campaign, particularly the use of their wing-backs, as we have seen the likes of Robin Gosens have a great season. This has aided Atalanta in their impressive campaign, as they are currently sat in 4th place, a considerable twelve points ahead of 5th place, Roma.
Napoli, managed by Gennaro Gattuso, who have recently won the Coppa Italia, have improved under the Italian, if not awe-inspiring. Under the former AC Milan player and coach, they have won by a one-goal margin on numerous occasions, showcasing defensive solidarity over attacking fluidity. This analysis will take a deeper dive into this game, and how Atalanta managed to beat Napoli.
Lineups
Atalanta lined up in a 3-4-1-2 formation which looked to play with width and utilise the space in behind that Napoli left thanks to their high-line. Gasperini’s side was fronted by Duván Zapata and Mario Pašalić, who has recently signed permanently to the Nerazzurri from Chelsea, with Papu Gómez operating the #10 space behind them. Notably, Serie A star Josip Iličić did not start, or come off the bench in this game, due to a recent knock he received.
Regarding the midfield, Gasperini went for Swiss international Remo Freuler and Marten de Roon, with Freuler acting as the more progressive of the two. Due to Pašalić operating in a forward role in this game and Ruslan Malinovskiy serving a suspension, these two were the only two quality midfield options that Gasperini had to choose from. The two wing-backs were Robin Gosens on the left and Timothy Castagne on the right, with Gosens impressing, in particular, this season, at least on an offensive basis. The back three consisted of Berat Djimsiti, Mattia Caldara, and Rafael Tolói, with Argentine José Luis Palomino starting on the bench in this match. Pierluigi Gollini retained his place as the first-choice goalkeeper.
Napoli set out in a 4-3-3 formation with Gattuso looking to dominate possession in the midfield area and progress the ball forwards through short inter-plays. The front-three consisted of Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens, and Matteo Politano, with three capable back-ups available on the bench, who would be introduced later on in the game (José Callejón, Arkadiusz Milik, and Hirving Lozano).
The forward line were supplemented by Fabián Ruiz, Piotr Zieliński, and Diego Demme. Fabián has shone in particular for Gli Azzuri this season, which will be discussed further later on in the article. The back four consisted of Mário Rui, Kalidou Koulibaly, Nikola Maksimović, and Giovanni Di Lorenzo, with Gattuso aiming to make use of two progressive full-backs in this match. David Ospina was in between the sticks at the start of the match.
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