By defeating Napoli 2-0 at the Stadio San Paolo, Atalanta secured a Serie A double over the Partenopei, which saw them rise to fourth place in the table.
When Atalanta overcame Napoli for the second time this season, it was a day that saw some records broken, and plenty more almost reached for the Bergamaschi. With those three points, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side moved to within one point of the club’s highest ever points tally in Serie A, which stands at 52, leaving them with just the 12 games to break it.
Mattia Caldara, with his brace, became only the second defender this season to score twice in one match, after Giorgio Chiellini for Juventus against Sampdoria, but is the first to do it away from home. His double took him to five goals for the campaign, making him the highest scoring defender in Serie A.
Goalscoring defenders have been something of a prominent theme in this Atalanta success, with 12 of their 42 strikes this season coming from defenders; again, a league high.
It was not just in an attacking sense that the Nerazzurri’s defenders impressed, however. By keeping a clean sheet at the Stadio San Paolo, they became the first team to do so in 24 games, and brought an end to the Partenopei’s 14 match unbeaten streak. Keeping Napoli out is no mean feat, either, with Maurizio Sarri’s side failing to find the net in just three Serie A matches this season, two of which came against their round 26 opponents.
Defensive solidity has been one of the reasons for their relative success this year, and Caldara, along with Andrea Masiello and Rafael Toloi, have provided Etrit Berisha behind them with a reliable wall of protection.
Familiarity has been important not just at the back, but all over the pitch. Whenever possible, and as against the Partenopei, Gasperini has tended to select the same XI in their trusted 3-4-1-2 formation each week, which typically reads: Berisha; Toloi, Caldara, Masiello; [Andrea] Conti, [Franck] Kessie, [Remo] Freuler, [Leonardo] Spinazzola; [Jasmin] Kurtic; [Alejandro] Gomez, [Andrea] Petagna.
Though Napoli will no doubt be disappointed to lose against Atalanta, the Orobici have taken many sides by surprise this year and have beaten fellow European hopefuls Roma and Inter, as well as taking points from just about everybody other than Juventus and Lazio.
With Fiorentina and Inter next up for La Dea, before they welcome Pescara to the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia, the next couple of games could be seen as season-defining. Four points from their next two fixtures would go a long way to securing European football in Bergamo next season, with sixth place likely to be enough to clinch a place in the Europa League qualification rounds.
The run-in is far from straight forward for the Bergamaschi, however, and they will have to face Roma, Juventus and AC Milan between now and the season’s end.
Having already shocked many this season, Gasperini’s side will be confident heading into any game, and will fancy their chances of causing a few more upsets. In truth, La Dea might not even need to cause many more and winning the games they are expected to triumph in could prove to be enough.
Based on recent seasons, Atalanta could secure a top six finish with just four more victories from their remaining twelve matches.
Since the 2006-07 Serie A season, no side finishing 6th has picked up more than 63 points, a high achieved in both 2008-09 and 2010-11. The lowest tally in the past decade stands at 58, which occurred in 06-07, 2011-12, and 2012-14.
Speaking after the Napoli win, Gasperini said the Atalanta fans were “authorised to dream [of Europe],” and that victory at the San Paolo gave them the right to “think big.”
Atalanta are continually surprising everyone who expects them to stumble in Serie A, and this Goddess has her eye set on a continental adventure.
When Atalanta welcome Fiorentina to Bergamo on Sunday, they will have nothing to fear. A win over the Tuscans would see La Dea break yet another record and place them in a strong position to make their supporters’ dreams come true by delivering European football.
