Serie A is blossoming in the last few years and offers very attractive football to watch combined with deep tactical knowledge. Italian football lovers could be happy with how the league is developing and how more and more teams become a constant threat to the first places. With this happening even more analysis of the coaches football vision, the teams performance will appear.
One of these teams is Atalanta and the reason behind that is their manager Gian Piero Gasperini. The Italian specialist came in charge in 2016 after a disappointing finish in the 2015/16 campaign in the bottom half of the table.
A huge improvement followed which resulted in turning the team into one of the most exciting to watch, home of young talents and intriguing football vision.
Starting from the 13th place in 2016, Gasperini built a team capable of getting everyone in trouble and able not only to play European football but be considered a threat. They have actually managed to reach a Champions League spot for the first time in their history.
The home of young talent and captivating tactics Stadio Atleti Azzurri dItalia has become a place not many have the courage to conquer.
In this tactical analysis, we will dive into Atalanta’s tactics and what they could look like going into the 2019/20 Serie A season.
Formations
The most noticeable tendency in the team’s structure is sticking to a three-man defensive line. Gasperini has a pretty direct approach and has made it clear he is going to put all efforts into their attacking force rather than their defensive ventures. The clearest example of all is their leadership in Serie A when it comes to goals scored. Atalanta have scored an impressive 77 goals last season, finishing third, topping Juventus and Napoli in that indicator.
Most frequently La Dea have played in a 3-4-1-2 formation, sometimes switching to a 3-4-2-1 and the more simplified 3-4-3. The front lines’ structure often depends on the opposition’s formation and approach. What makes an impression is that despite their attack-minded approach, they haven’t fully neglected their defensive responsibilities. Even though there is room for improvement.
The Bergamo side tend to play possession football, although they sometimes get stuck when it comes to outplaying teams that match their approach. They use lots of lateral passes with a high pass accuracy in order to retain possession and distribute the ball to the more advanced areas. They like to keep the ball in the opposition’s half and apply intense pressing with their 519.37 passes on average per game.
They build-up from the back and use possession in order to distribute the ball further as quickly as possible. Atalanta also frequently use the half-spaces as a way to provoke creativity and attack. This takes place mostly when they meet resistance in the central areas and are forced to send long balls in order to reach the final third.
Gasperini reli
