Though Atalanta lost to Sassuolo on Sunday afternoon, La Dea had entered the game as Serie A’s hottest team.
Despite crashing back down to earth 2-0, Atalanta had looked the better side through much of the first half, teasing a packed stadium – by Serie A standards – with lovely football.
In losing to Sassuolo, Atalanta not only saw their seven game unbeaten run come to an end, but the club saw their chances of European qualification become even more difficult.
Atalanta are among a small group of clubs that are on the outside looking in for European football. The Bergamo team are joined by four other clubs that are shocking – for the most part – Serie A.
Parma, Hellas Verona and Torino round out the teams that are pushing for the final Europa League place. Unfortunately, many Serie A clubs – like other clubs from Europe’s big leagues – see the Europa League as more of a hindrance than an accomplishment. Therefore, it may be unlikely that either one of these four teams will push too hard to gain that last European spot; but their fans can dream.
The team most deserving of one of Serie A’s three Europa League spots, from a neutral point of view, are Parma. The Gialloblu are well past their most successful years and next year will be the ten year anniversary of their reformation as a club.
Donadoni is putting his time with the Azzurri behind him.
However, Roberto Donadoni has the club riding high with a group of average players a best. Perhaps Donadoni’s best achievement this season has been his ability to get the best out of Antonio Cassano.
Cassano arrived from Inter as part of the deal that sent Ishak Belfodil to the Nerazzurri and it isn’t hard to see Parma got the best of that deal with Belfodil currently on loan at Livorno.
Cassano’s rebirth is reminiscent of his rejuvenation at Sampdoria and it is has led to him being currently listed on Cesare Prandelli’s provisional World Cup roster this summer. The former Roma striker’s 11 goals and five assists have been key in the team’s surge and if Parma are to find themselves in Europe next season, the Gialloblu will need him to carry the team across the finish line this season.
Until January it looked as though Hellas Verona would not only survive their return to Serie A in 2013/14, it looked likely that the club would make Europe. However, losing eight of their fifteen games since Christmas has cost the team dearly.
Hellas have obtained 17 points from 45 in the second half of the season and the team’s allowance for Jorginho to join Napoli on a co-ownership deal in January has greatly dented their hopes of a top six finish.
Jorginho’s loss has helped lead to the team’s lack of goals. Only 16 goals have been tallied by the Bentigodi side following their 31 in the autumn. Hellas’ hopes may have been dashed completely thanks to their five match scoreless run through February and March. However, since then the Gialloblu are now up and running again with two straight wins.
A one-two punch that has tallied 30 goals and 11 assists combined.
Rounding out the European hopefuls are Torino. The Granata have been led by the dual attack of Ciro Immobile and Alessio Cerci, two players that are proving they could play for Italy’s bigger teams if given the chance.
Immobile has put last season’s five goal performance at Genoa behind him as Giampiero Ventura has coaxed the best out of the striker. In Ventura, Torino have a tactician that has been given time to craft his team and in his third season, Ventura is getting the best out of a squad that was refreshed ahead of this term.
Though the Granata lost Rolando Bianchi, Immobile proved the club’s hierarchy right when they decided to let the former captain leave on a free transfer last summer. Ventura extended his current contract until 2016, but this year could be his best chance to get the team into the Europa League. Arguably with the best attack of the four clubs fighting for the Europa League, Torino could make Turin a busy stop in European football next season.
Despite these four teams being within touching distance of Europe’s second club competition, there is still a lot of work for each one to do. Meanwhile, the European spots are for the usual suspects to lose; and until that happens this will just be a solid season for each side. But a solid season that could lead to nothing more than inflated expectations in 2014/15.
Follow Drew Farmer on Twitter @CalcioFarmer.
