Atalanta reversed, painful return for AC Milan (2/4)
Each year, when the holiday season draws near, clubs reach the middle of their season. Time for Calciomio to take stock of the Italian clubs during the different group stages of the three European competitions. Two papers will be devoted to the teams involved in Champions League, then will come the turn ofEuropa League and finally the youngest, the League Conference. In this second part, we take a look back at the performances of Atalanta and AC Milan, which had a complicated European autumn for different destinies.
Atalanta: this time the final is lost
On the eve of the last day of the group stage Atalanta had its fate in hand. Against the Spaniards of Villarreal, a victory was enough to send the Dea to the next round. As in 2019, as in 2020, the European destiny of Gasperini’s men was going to be played out in a final against the direct competitor for the qualification. And if Shakhtar, then Ajax failed, the Yellow Sub did not tremble at Gewiss Stadium, leaving with the victory and the qualification (2-3) depriving Atalanta of the pass of three: three qualifications in as many participations. However, the defeat against Villarreal is not the only cause of this third place in Bergamo.
With only one victory in six days, Gasperini’s men have accumulated their lowest points total in the competition, six, against seven and eleven in previous years. If the fantastic comeback of the first participation had made it possible to highlight this Atalanta team and its pleasant game, this year it shone with its irregularity and its inability to perform for 90 minutes. Results, it takes only one point against Manchester United after having held the dragee high with the Red Devils a good part of the two meetings. In front of the score in the first leg (0-2 at the break) and in the return (1-0, then 2-1), the Dea finally conceded avoidable goals.
The meeting against the Young Boys, in Switzerland, also illustrated the collective shortcomings, conceding two goals at the end of the game to finally draw a draw (3-3). With such inconstancy, it is difficult to aspire to qualification. But for the first time in three years, Gasperini had to do with a staff reduced by the absences, those, long, of his pistons Gosens and Hateboer, or that, shorter of Toloi, even Demiral, left on injury against Manchester United. Atalanta will be able to console themselves next spring with participation in the Europe League, a competition in which they could aim for the last four.
AC Milan: painful return to the highest level
The last time AC Milan played a Champions League, we were in 2014 and the starting XI consisted of Kaka ‘, but above all of Poli, Taarabt, Bonera or Rami. A time that the tifosi rossoneri wanting probably to forget but not obvious when we find ourselves in one of the most demanding groups in the competition, with Liverpool, FC Porto and Atletico, who were the last opponents ofIl Diavolo in this competition. And this return was very complicated.
Enterprising and unabashed, the Rossoneri doubt Liverpool at Anfield before losing (3-2). Again, at home against Atletico, they deliver a serious match but crack on a sanction after additional time (1-2). If these two outings raised hopes of qualifying before the meeting against the group’s most affordable opponent, FC Porto, the outcome of the double confrontation with the Portuguese succeeded at which point there is still a long way to go for Milan. AC becomes again a European cador. Dominated, uninspired, they offered themselves an unexpected hope by winning on the ground of Atletico, before being kicked out of all European competitions by Liverpool, after having once again led to the score. A bit like Atalanta, Pioli’s men lacked consistency and above all, this group so young, suffered from a cruel lack of experience at the very highest level. Learning is sometimes painful.
To find in this file:
Episode 1 – It’s OK for Juventus and Inter
Episode 2 – Atalanta loses final, painful comeback for AC Milan
Episode 3 – Lazio and Napoli do the job
Episode 4 – AS Roma, humiliation and qualification