Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta had been the greater crew over two legs, but Borussia Dortmund had been extra medical, explains Elio Salerno.
Despite taking a 2d half of lead in the major leg, La Dea left Dortmund trailing by a single purpose after a Michy Batshuayi double gave his aspect a slim profit coming into tonight’s game.
Atalanta’s tactical flexibility
The Bergamo aspect worked tirelessly out of possession, one thing traditional viewers of Atalanta will probably keep in mind of. The adaptability of the Atalanta avid gamers to swap between defensive styles is to be admired and is a credit to Coach Gasperini.
In particular in the major half of we seen Atalanta press excessive, as they tried to attach an electric fade and push Dortmund on to the abet foot. It used to be a a hit tactic.
Because the away aspect seemed to play from the abet, front pair Papu Gomez and Josip Ilicic would recall the opposition central defenders and force them to play into plump-backs the set Atalanta would possibly maybe well then compact the pitch. This allowed wing-backs Leonardo Spinazzola and Hans Hateboer to press their opposite numbers and limit Dortmund from rising play by the center.
Away from the ball in central areas it would be Bryan Cristante and one of Marten De Roon or Remo Freuler that would transfer to forestall Dortmund’s double pivot of Mahmoud Dahoud and Nuri Şahin getting on the ball and controlling play.
Atalanta’s man-orientated press would enable one of their centre backs, basically Andrea Masiello, to free himself from the abet three to transfer tight to Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic, who would in general drift centrally from the elegant hand aspect.
On the times the dwelling aspect weren’t set up to press this methodology, we’d leer them revert true into a 5-three-2 form and even a 5-Four-1 when one of many two strikers dropped in to increase defensively. Organising in a deeper 5-three-2 block would leer the broader avid gamers in the midfield three transfer to defend Dortmund’s plump-backs because the ball travelled to them in an strive and stop Atalanta being outnumbered on the flanks.
In possession Atalanta requested a entire bunch questions of Dortmund defensively and repeatedly seemed to stretch the pitch in an strive and disrupt their defensive form. A characteristic of the dwelling aspect’s play in the originate-up portion would leer Papu Gomez and Ilicic every transfer in to the areas between Dortmund’s centre-abet and entire-abet.
As rapidly because the ball hit their toes, they’d accept as true with overlapping wing-backs supporting play as well to Bryan Cristante making forward runs previous Dortmund’s abet line or offering increase as a makeshift central striker.
With the nearest central midfield player also supporting the ball, this gave the dwelling aspect a numerical profit in extensive areas. With Dortmund though-provoking over to compensate, it also supposed that if Atalanta had been in a position to swap the ball mercurial, they’ll elaborate and overload Dortmund’s worn aspect, which they did on times.
Rafael Toloi gave the dwelling aspect a deserved half of-time lead as he reacted quickest in the station to stud dwelling a Gomez nook.
Atalanta learn the laborious methodology…
It used to be almost the appropriate ending, but in the end Atalanta discovered the laborious methodology. Going by high opposition in one of Europe’s elite competitions is unforgiving, making mistakes and lacking opportunities is punished. Being the greater crew isn’t very ample; despite performance, it is these severe moments that assemble the distinction.
Within the major leg it used to be two cheap 2d half of targets and tonight it used to be overlooked potentialities. At 1-0 up, Cristante made one of his trademark runs in-in the abet of and used to be exquisitely picked out by captain Gomez, elegant for the young Italian to head extensive with the purpose at his mercy.
In direction of the tip of the 2d half of, it used to be talisman Gomez who used to be guilty of lacking the opportunity to bewitch his aspect by, contained in the risk station and one v one he fired his shot straight at keeper Roman Bürki.
It used to be not lengthy after that Atalanta ‘keeper Etrit Berisha let a shot squirm away from him after he had been faultless all night, Marcel Schmelzer scrambled the ball dwelling on the rebound to equalise and spoil the dwelling crew’s spirit.
There’s absolute self belief over the two legs that Atalanta had been the greater crew, but soccer has no time for sentiment. After a lovely marketing campaign in which they beat the likes of Everton, Lyon and pushed one of Germany’s most attention-grabbing your entire methodology, the Orobici can abet their heads excessive. They did themselves and Italian soccer proud.
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