FC Bayern ahead of Atalanta: Why 'La Dea' are no longer a surprise team

With passionate counter-pressing, largely unknown players and former coach Gian Piero Gasperini’s innovative tactics, Atalanta have gone from obscurity to the 2024 Europa League title within nine years. After Raffaele Palladino took over as coach, Atalanta still are fascinating underdogs who thrill European football with team spirit and a down-to-earth attitude. After their play-off triumph over Borussia Dortmund, they now take on FC Bayern in Europe’s premier club competition.

Atalanta profiled

It’s only 50 kilometres from Bergamo to the metropolis Milan, but Atalanta has no connection with the birthplace of catenaccio. As temporary tenants of the San Siro while their home stadium was being rebuilt, they brought a different style of play with them – no parking the bus but relentless counter-pressing, no defensive bulwark but man-marking across almost the entire pitch. Named after “Atlante,” the fastest huntress from Greek mythology, “La Dea,” as Atalanta is called because of the goddess with the flowing hair in the crest, is now on the hunt in European football. The club is enjoying the most successful period of its 114-year history.

But after a spell in the third league, Atalanta needed to be rejuvenated first. The coach who administered his magic potion to the sleeping goddess and taught Europe’s top clubs to fear them was Gian Piero Gasperini, now at AS Roma.

An almost fairy-tale story

The almost fairy-tale story of Atalanta’s rise fits in with the career of their longstanding coach. Gasperini, who was a rather mediocre pro, initially failed at Inter after only ten weeks. After early defeats, he refused to change his tactics, which were different from anything seen in Italy before: a 3-4-3 with attack-minded defenders, aggressive pressing and constant pressure on the opposition, the ball and the goal. He also had a patchy start in Bergamo, but he had more time there – and was rewarded with the second title after the 1963 Coppa Italia when they beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in May 2024 to win the Europa League. Atalanta ended the 51-game unbeaten run of Xabi Alonso’s team, then unbeaten German champions and cup winners, sending Bergamo and the region with its valleys and industrial villages into raptures.

The irresistible charm of the accidentally successful underdogs

At the latest with the European Cup triumph, the club should have lost the charm of accidentally successful underdogs – but to this day, the victory gives it a likeable charisma. A bit iconic, a bit hip – that’s what Atalanta is for many, especially since the ultra scene, known for its brutality in the 1990s, suddenly disbanded. The “Ragazzi” of Curva Nord, an umbrella group that has a fan friendship with Eintracht Frankfurt, consists of some old hotheads and people with heart. They were seen wearing Atalanta sweaters searching for survivors of natural disasters or bringing food to the elderly during the pandemic. Iconic, hip, a violent fan scene – that doesn’t fit with the character of the hardworking, down-to-earth people in Bergamo. They all agree it’s the Milanese who are aloof. That’s why they never signed stars but rather unknown players who fit the coach’s plan: they all have to be able to push forward, suddenly invigorate the attack and find the player who ultimately scores.

Pillars like Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez, Germany international Robin Gosens, whose star once rose in Bergamo, or Franck Kessié came and went. Renowned in Italy for its excellent youth development programme, the club has generated a transfer profit of over €500 million since 2010. But even though the face of the team changed, Atalanta remained successful. “For me, they’re among the toughest opponents in Europe. They have a great mentality and a coach who knows exactly what he wants,” Xabi Alonso had said ahead of the Europa League final. In the quarter-finals, Atalanta had beaten Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on a magical cup night, the likes of which are becoming increasingly common.

An italian top team since the summer of 2018

But since the summer of 2018, when Atalanta qualified for the Champions League for the first time, the club has established itself among the elite of Serie A. They finished third last season to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition for the fifth time. Charles de Ketelaere is a man to watch in attack. The 1.92-m tall Belgian moves with rare ease. He has been involved in nine goals in ten Champions League matches, but he will miss the match against Bayern with a meniscus injury. Playing alongside him is Italy international Gianluca Scamacca, who has been involved in 51 goals in 105 Serie A matches. Marten de Roon pulls the strings in midfield. The Dutchman, who has been there since 2016, has made 430 appearances for Atalanta – an ever-present, a fighter, a reliable captain. 

All this no longer under the auspices of Gasperini, who is immortal in Bergamo – he moved to the capital after nine years. After Ivan Jurić, Raffaele Palladino is in the dugout now. After 24 matches, he boasts an even higher points average than Gasperini. On Wednesday they take on Lazio in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg. Atalanta are in the upper third of the Serie A table and up against FC Bayern in the Champions Lague after eliminating Borussia Dortmund. At the latest after their 4-1 home victory over Dortmund, Munich have great respect for Atalanta, ahead of the first leg in Lombardy in particular.

FC Bayern face Atalanta Bergamo for the first time on Tuesday – a look at how such matches ended recently: