Sampdoria coach Sinisa Mihajlovic is hoping Samuel Eto’o and Luis Muriel make the difference for the Blucerchiati up front against Atalanta on Sunday.
Sampdoria had the derby with city rivals Genoa postponed from Sunday to Tuesday last week due to heavy rainfall, but the former Fiorentina boss made it clear Samp can’t make excuses that Atalanta have had more time to prepare for the game
“We will play with a 4-3-3 with [Stefano] Okaka, [Samuel] Eto’o and [Luis] Muriel up front,” said Mihajlovic in his pre-match press conference.
“Muriel and Eto’o now know what is expected of them, as [Manolo] Gabbiadini did previously.”
“They’re certainly better players than what they were a month ago, they’re players who can make a difference and I’m waiting for them to display that tomorrow.
“We have some problems with suspensions but I prefer to employ a more attacking formation, in midfield all of our players are fit and I hope the front three can give a hand defensively.”
The Blucerchiati coach was respectful of the challenge that Atalanta can pose to his team and he feels it will be a difficult away trip.
“Atalanta are a compact and aggressive side, it won’t be easy but we must redeem ourselves after a bad defeat there last season [3-0],” he said.
“Bergamo is a difficult place to play, the fans will turn up and it will be a fiery atmosphere but this is how it should be.”
Mihajlovic assured that his players will be physically ready even though Atalanta had more days to prepare for the game, likening the team to tennis player Novak Djokovic.
“Did they have more time to prepare for this game? Yes, I don’t see the problem with this, we’ve had time ourselves to prepare and rest,” he started.
“We are professionals, otherwise what could I say to my friend Novak Djokovic who plays for four hours a day every two days.”
The Blucerchiati boss went on to offer his thoughts about Sampdoria’s recent form, which has seen them pick up one win in their past six Serie A games, including a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Torino and a 1-1 draw with rivals Genoa.
“The derby? It would have been better to win it but when you can’t win it’s important to not lose,” he said.
“Other than the game against Torino, we have worked well, the boys are fairly happy but not too happy and there is a good feeling in the squad.”
