Two themes, in the aftermath Verona: the very high price that you risk paying to the Liverpool company and the importance of Gianluca Scamacca for this Atalanta. The first question comes from a metaphor: there is the risk of living a year in a shack for having treated yourself to a day (a night) in the most beautiful resort in the world. The Champions League, which is increasingly complicated to reach, risks becoming the duty to pay for the Anfield feat. The Nerazzurri’s 3-0 defeat of Liverpool got the world talking, but now comes the best part: to not regret the 5 points out of 6 lost against Cagliari and Verona you should now win the Europa League. Hold on the day after tomorrow, Thursday 18 April, with Liverpool, prevail in the semi-final with the winner of Marseille-Benfica (1-2 the first leg), win the final in Dublin.
Not really a trip. But if it doesn’t happen and in Serie A the comeback between Bologna and Roma is not successful, the next participation in the European cups will indeed be a luxury to be applauded for the history of Atalanta, but also an enormous disappointment given the great opportunity that the team now fails to exploit. In the last 7 games only one victory (in Naples) plus three draws. To improve the pace it will be necessary to make choices, even if fatigue (physical and mental) would impose a turnover: after the 5 matches played in 16 days (4 away), there are now another 4 matches in 11 days. And the key players will be needed on the pitch. Among these, at the moment, there is undoubtedly Gianluca Scamacca. The center forward is giving himself one sensational spring, made up of goals and level performances: 5 goals in the last 5 matches, the first Italian ever to score a brace at Anfield, with Verona also a test as an offensive director. Unfortunately, however, Gasperini replaced him after an hour on Monday, depriving the team of the first striker when they should have won. Why will he serve with Liverpool? Why did he run out of gas? Well, after the draws of all the rivals, the 3 points were the priority, not having tried with the best solutions is the coach’s fault: now we cannot ignore Scamacca. The turnover is well organised, scientific, even preventive. But not self-harming, not that.
