With only one more game in Serie A to come before the clubs take a short winter break, I return with another club focus article in which I look at the current state of Atalanta as they head into the holiday period.
In their current run of form, which reads four games without a victory, it’s safe to say the winter break will be welcomed by the La Dea faithful.
Before the season commenced, if you had offered an Stefan Colantuono that his side would be sat just one point behind AC Milan and two behind Lazio after 16 games, I’m sure he would have gratefully accepted. Well, this is the position the Nerazzurri find themselves in but it’s fair to say that they may have expected more.
They sit in 13th position in Serie A, with a rather bleak 18 points. This tally sees them just five points above the relegation zone and that will worry Colantuono’s side. With their final game before Christmas being a home tie against current champions and league leaders Juventus, it’s more than likely that this points total will not be changing until January at the earliest.
In their 16 games they have only managed to find the net 17 times. This is a huge problem for La Dea. Luckily, the defence has faired relatively well, particularly at home, conceding only 21 goals of which only six have been conceded at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia.
A quick look at the list of Atalanta goal scorers so far this season proves that this is a real cause for concern. Leading the scoring charts in Bergamo is German Denis, unsurprisingly. Il Tanque has scored six goals. The next highest tally is a mere two goals, a feat which is shared by three players; Marko Livaja, Davide Brivio and Guglielmo Stendardo – the latter two are defenders.
The likes of Giuseppe De Luca, Maxi Moralez and Giacomo Bonaventura will need to contribute more goals in the second half of the season if the Nerazzurri are to maintain their mid-table position and perhaps even look to push themselves into the top ten before May.
If you have followed my club focus articles this season, you are more than likely sick of hearing me go on and on to no end about how Atalanta simply need to improve their form on the road. I’m afraid you’re going to have to endure that again for the next few paragraphs.
La Dea have now played half of their away games for the season, nine of the 18 in total. Of these nine games they have only won once – at Chievo in October. They have only drawn once – at Genoa thanks to an equaliser from De Luca with what was the last kick of the game. They have lost the other seven. A club the size of Atalanta might expect to lose more than they win on the road, but losing 77 per cent of away games is completely unacceptable.
Luckily, their form in Bergamo is very impressive in comparison and is the only reason they are sitting in mid table. Four of their five wins this season have come at home, ten of the 17 goals scored have come at home, and they have only let in a very impressive six goals in their seven games. Picking up a total of 14 points from 21 available, this impressive home form will need to continue in order to ensure they don’t find themselves being dragged into a relegation dog fight come the end of the season.
Things may not be as bad as they seem for Atalanta, of their eight defeats, five have been down to a single goal. Proving furthermore the need for more goal scorers in the side. To further emphasise this point, they have not won by more than two goals at all season.
After Christmas it is vital that La Dea begin to pick up points on their travels, it is equally important that more players throughout the team begin to contribute with goals to reduce the dependance on Denis. Should these things be corrected there is no reason to suggest why the Nerazzurri can’t find themselves finishing comfortably in the top half of the table.
Follow Conor Clancy on Twitter: @concalcio
