Gian Piero Gasperini and his Atalanta didn’t start the new season with the usual confidence and consistency. While they established as one of the best Serie A teams over the last few years and have also earned respect in European tournaments, they are yet to reach a significant milestone. Their ambitions are high, and they have shown their capabilities on the pitch, but the start of the 2021/22 season seems more like a step back, rather than a step forward to achieving their goals.
This isn’t necessarily reflected in their record of three victories, one draw and one defeat, but it is indeed noticeable in their style of play which has changed, and their identity is blander than before.
The team have improved defensively and have increased their press intensity, but things in possession don’t look that good for them, especially compared to their last season’s performance. La Dea are known for their distinguished attacking style of play that has left even the best defences in awe, but this season they seem less threatening than usual.
For comparison, they have scored just six goals in their first five Serie A games, while last season they score 15 goals for the same number of games. And it is easy to think that this is just a coincidence, but it is actually a result of their changed performance in possession.
The team’s participation in Champions League’s Group F didn’t start perfectly as well. The team only got one point out of their meeting with Villarreal, despite taking the lead early on.
Our tactical analysis in the form of a scout report will examine how have Atalanta’s tactics changed and why do they underperform in possession. What is the reason behind their decreased efficiency in attack?
What did the player departures mean for La Dea?
La Dea’s performance started to change inevitably at the beginning of 2021 with the departure of their key player Alejandro Gómez. While they managed to adjust well to the changes for the rest of the season, it was clear that they might have difficulties replacing him in the long run. His presence was crucial for their performance in possession – from their build-up play to their actions in the final third and in front of the goal.
Gómez’s confidence and control helped the team in retaining possession and in executing their infamous attacking combinations that would break through the oppositions’ pressing structures and penetrate defences successfully. The Argentine’s link-up-play and his dribbling skills were fundamental for the team as he wasn’t only supporting ball progression and creating chances for his teammates, but was also a direct threat to the goal at all times.
With his departure, Atalanta lost a bit of their attacking identity and explosiveness. There’s wasn’t a direct replacement in his position and Gasperini started experimenting with the starting XI as we saw Matteo Pessina get more playing time. While his performance was solid, he wasnt able to provide that much flexibility in front of the goal as Gómez did.
The summer transfer window was also eventful for the Bergamo side. Along with a few other departures, they had to let go of the centre-back Cristian Romero, who was one of their best performers last season, as he joined Tottenham in the Premier League. This left the team with José Luis Palomino as the only decent option in the centre. Palomino is an experienced player and was among their best performers in the 2019/20 campaign, but with him being 31 years old and not having enough playing time last term, relying on him as a first-choice defender this year would have been a risky approach, especially having in mind their Champions League participation.
Romero fit Gasperini’s tactics well and seemed like the more suitable option as the accuracy of his actions in and out of possession was better and his approach was less risky than Palomino’s in both phases. Palomino does have his advantages though, as he is more efficient in his marking and in being a shadow of the oppositions most creative players, which saved Atalanta on many occasions. That’s why, the team made sure to secure a new addition in defence, which we will discuss later on in our analysis.
The team also reached a loan deal with Spurs on their starting goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini. This immediately raised the question of is Marco Sportiello could be a successful starting XI option. Gollini was preferred as he had more confidence with the ball and would go out of his line more frequently, supporting the team in building up from the back, especially when it comes to sending long balls, something that Sportiello wasn’t able to provide. Gollini was also more solid in terms of saving shots.
Sportiello conceded 33 goals in 21 games in all competitions last season with only two clean sheets, while his fellow keeper conceded 32 goals in 32 games and kept 13 clean sheets.
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