Underdogs Atalanta hope to overturn the odds against Real in Super Cup

Published August 14, 2024
ATALANTA’S Ademola Lookman in action during a training session at the National Stadium Warsaw on Tuesday.—Reuters
ATALANTA’S Ademola Lookman in action during a training session at the National Stadium Warsaw on Tuesday.—Reuters

WARSAW: The stakes will be high for Europa League winners Atalanta when they face the Spanish giants Real Madrid in the Super Cup on Wednesday but coach Gian Piero Gasperini believes they can pull off another surprise.

Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in May, ending the German champions’ remarkable unbeaten streak, and will be up against European champions Real who beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to lift their record-extending 15th Champions League trophy.

“On paper we’re even more of an underdog than we were against Leverkusen, who were coming into the (final) game unbeaten in an entire season,” Gasperini told a press conference on Tuesday.

“Real Madrid will be an even greater hurdle but that means we’re even more motivated. It doesn’t happen often but you can overturn the odds in football.”

Atalanta will, however, face an extra challenge in Warsaw as they have travelled without injured striker Gianluca Scamacca.

The Italy forward, who scored six goals in their winning Europa League campaign, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a pre-season friendly defeat by Parma (4-1) on Aug. 4 and could be out of action for at least six months.

They will also be without Netherlands midfielder Teun Koopmeiners who Italian media reports said is nearing a move to rivals Juventus.

“It’s clear that you’d like to go into such a game with a full squad and play your best players to get to the top of your game,” Gasperini said.

“But even when we went to Liverpool or other (top) teams, and we often found ourselves with some difficulties, I always asked the guys to play a good game, without thinking of who’s there or who’s not there.”

Winger Ademola Lookman said Atalanta should not be underestimated.

“We can’t wait to get on the pitch. Not just me, but the whole team can’t wait to play this match,” Lookman said.

“We deserve to be here. Our hard work and perseverance has brought us here and tomorrow is another night to show that.”

Lookman’s hat-trick sealed the Europa League for Atalanta, their second major trophy after they won the Italian top flight in the 196263 season.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Ultimate price
Updated 02 Nov, 2024

Ultimate price

To dismantle culture of impunity for crimes against journalists, state must ensure that perpetrators do not go unpunished.
Mastung bombing
02 Nov, 2024

Mastung bombing

INSTABILITY continues to haunt Balochistan, as Friday morning’s bombing in Mastung has shown. At least nine...
Plane speak
02 Nov, 2024

Plane speak

DESPITE all its efforts to facilitate PIA’s privatisation, it seems the government only ended up being taken for a...
Seeking investment
Updated 01 Nov, 2024

Seeking investment

Foreign visits will be fruitless unless crucial structural, policy reforms directly affecting investors are focused.
State-backed terror
01 Nov, 2024

State-backed terror

OVER the past year or so, India’s reportedly malign activities in foreign countries have increasingly come under the radar, with
Shared crisis
01 Nov, 2024

Shared crisis

WITH Lahore experiencing unprecedented levels of smog, the Punjab government has announced a series of “green...