Atalanta Club Focus – Mid-Season review: The story so far…

Date: 1st January 2016 at 2:00pm
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Having ended the previous campaign in 17th place and just three points outside the relegation zone, Atalanta have been performing above all expectations so far this season.

Gomez Migliaccio Atalanta

After a relatively quiet summer transfer window in Italian football terms, there was a feeling surrounding Atalanta that the 2015-16 campaign would prove just as, if not even more, difficult than last season.

The Bergamo side have proved all of their skeptics wrong so far, and come into the Christmas break in a comfortable ninth place, with more people discussing them as outsiders for European qualification than as potential relegation candidates.

More than achieving positive results, Edy Reja has his side playing some impressive football, with Alejandro Gomez and his attacking colleagues gaining plaudits all season long.

Best Player

gomez atalanta carpi

There are a few candidates for this accolade, and though Marten De Roon’s performances have been outstanding this season, to avoid repetition, I will be saving him for a little later in this review.

Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez has well and truly refound his form in Serie A after taking a little longer than he would have liked to settle back into life in Italy when he returned to sign for Atalanta at the beginning of the 2014-15 season. Having left Catania for a one-year spell at Metalist Kharkiv, Gomez is now reminding us of exactly what he can do.

Having developed a near telepathic relationship with Maxi Moralez, the two more agile of Atalanta’s front three work well with either German Denis or Mauricio Pinilla up top, as they interchange and cause opposing defences problems.

Finding the net five times and assisting a further three goals for his teammates already this season, the Argentine’s impact is as evident statistically as it is when you observe La Dea in action.

Highlight so far

Roma 0 – 2 Atalanta.

There can be no other choice for this particular feat, though honourable mentions must go to Mauricio Pinilla’s overhead kick against Sassuolo, and Gomez’s winner against Lazio.

Atalanta made the trip to the Stadio Olimpico on November 29 expecting a backlash following the Giallorossi’s drubbing against Barcelona just a few days prior to the game. What they got, however, was quite the opposite.

Goals from Papu Gomez and ‘El Tanque’ Denis ensured the Bergamo side left the Eternal City with a historic 2-0 win against one of their most fierce rivals.

Despite few making the trip south, thousands of fans lined the streets of the Northern Italian city to welcome their players home in the early hours of the morning with rapturous applause, singing, and plenty of flairs to light up the night sky.

The win represented Atalanta’s first win at Roma in 12 years, making the utter jubilation on the streets of Bergamo eminently understandable.

Biggest disappointment

To be fair to Reja and his players, there aren’t too many to choose from here. The defeat against Bologna was rather disheartening but can almost completely be explained by the Rossoblu’s then recent appointment of Roberto Donadoni as coach.

For me, however, the standout disappointment of the season came in the opening round of fixtures.  The Orobici had performed well at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza and looked as though they were about to leave with a point before Stevan Jovetic popped up on his Serie A return to steal all three points for Inter with a well-taken strike, albeit after being afforded far too much space.

*EDIT: Since writing this review, Maxi Moralez has completed a move away from Bergamo to join Mexican side Club Leon. For me, sadly, this has to be mentioned as a major disappointment, as Frasquito was integral to La Dea’s style of play this season, as well as being a major contributor to their relative success.

Transfer hit

Marten De Roon Atalanta

I eluded to it earlier, and Marten De Roon has been a sensation since making the move from Heerenveen in the summer. Impressive from the start, he was greeted well at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia for La Dea’s first home game of the season against Frosinone and his performance justified this generous welcome.

The epitome of consistency in a strong Atalanta midfield this season, usually alongside Alberto Grassi and Luca Cigarini, De Roon’s presence would not go amiss in a general team of the season so far.

As if his performances hadn’t already won the hearts of Atalanta supporters this season, he recently pledged his commitment to the club by dismissing rumours linking him with an AC Milan move, saying he was happy in Bergamo and that he intends to remain at the club for a few more years yet.

Where next?

Onwards and upwards, right? Maybe not, unfortunately. The primary focus for Atalanta must remain to be consolidation in mid-table, and they should be more wary of those behind them than focussed on moving any higher up the table.

Without being overly cautious or pessimistic, it is important that Reja does not allow his players to get carried away with their early season success.

The aim should now be ensuring a top ten finish, which is something that would represent a very good season for the Nerazzurri.

 

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