In the Europa League Final, where Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta takes on the undefeated Bayer Leverkusen, it is evident that La Dea has returned to prominence in Europe after a few years away. The 2023–2024 campaign is often regarded as Atalanta's finest under Gian Piero Gasperini. The team not only qualified for and won the Champions League again, but they also advanced to the Coppa Italia final and—this evening!—made history by winning the club's first-ever European final. They have perhaps had more opportunities to win awards this season than any other in recent memory. Even if their defeat by Max Allegri's Juventus in the Coppa Italia final was somewhat heartbreaking, they still have this week to make history and take home a trophy.
Furthermore, context is essential, particularly in light of La Dea's identity and recent past. Losing players regularly is nothing new for Atlanta, as seen by events from last summer and beyond. With his career lighting fire, Rasmus Højlund went for Manchester United, while late in the window, the fans' favorite at Bergamo, Duván Zapata, moved for Torino. Luis Muriel moved for the Major League Soccer later in January, and Jeremie Boga left for Ligue 1 in the summer. With the players they could recruit and the resources at their disposal, the Bergamo-based team only needed to reorganize their assault. Nevertheless, Atalanta is accustomed to this procedure.
The club has become one of the more well-known Italian faces in Europe thanks to its distinct playing style, strategic approach, and recruitment methods. Many Italian teams have struggled to establish a consistent sense of identity; while Inter has made some progress in this regard, Milan, Napoli, and Juventus have not. Atalanta thrives there, which makes them a highly durable team. This time around as well, La Dea's hiring enabled them to navigate a challenging change successfully. After a disastrous first season at Milan, Charles de Ketelaere was brought in on a temporary loan. After a disappointing and injury-plagued tenure at West Ham, Gianluca Scamacca was signed by Atalanta, who defeated Inter to secure his services.
The employment of Teun Koopmeiners in the last third has brought out the best in the Dutchman, who had a much deeper position the previous season. Koopmeiners has established himself as a versatile player in the middle of the park, demonstrating his ability to control play in midfield while dropping deep and his good eye for a ball. He has 12 goals and 5 assists, and teams like Juventus and Liverpool have taken notice of him mostly because of his versatility.
Even though Scamacca and De Ketelaere have both experienced remarkable comebacks and have combined for 21 goals in Serie A, many people were struck by the Italian's performance at Anfield versus Liverpool. As a fox in the box, De Ketelaere enjoys taking on defenders, but Scamacca is more of a full-fledged center-forward. The former Sassuolo player can produce the last ball, holds up the ball exceptionally well, and has a great touch. Simultaneously, Ederson, a midfielder from Brazil, has advanced and flourished playing two roles in the center of the pitch.
Despite his six goals, the 24-year-old scores in the 69th percentile for defensive actions since he is an important connection between the midfield and the attack. He has more than successfully taken Remo Freuler's place, who left for Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2022 and is currently enjoying success in Bologna. Similar to Koopmeiners, Ederson has been connected to Premier League teams and is a prime illustration of how La Dea functions. They are poised to profit from the Brazilian, who had signed from Salernitana in the summer of 2022. Merih Demiral was another to leave Atlanta in 2023, traveling to Saudi Arabia.
Even though Atalanta had to wait six months to replace him, they appear to have done it flawlessly. center-back Isak Hien moved from Verona to January, despite Atalanta's futile summertime attempts to sign him. In the second part of the season, the Swede—who only cost €9 million—has shown himself to be one of their greatest performers.
It was more than just a token signature. This is not only because Gasperini spent months scouting him before he signed, but also because he is a fantastic fit for the high-line arrangement.
Similar to Demiral, Hien is one of the top defenders in Serie A because to his excellent turn of speed during recoveries and keen sense of the game. He provides strong upside on the ball and is a proactive player. The move is just what one would anticipate from the Bergamischi—cheap, appropriate for Gasperini's strategy, and young enough to turn a profit down the road. To some extent, Atalanta's identity is derived on their unwavering style of play. After all, because of their budgetary limitations, many Italian clubs hire well.
However, none of them have a distinct tactical identity, and Gasperini's ongoing attendance at the Gewiss Stadium has aided Atalanta in that regard. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding Atalanta, they face the most formidable team in Europe on Wednesday, and it would be their toughest test of the year. It would also be another opportunity to see how well Atalanta can adjust to changing circumstances. They produced nothing noteworthy during their lackluster effort against Juventus in the Coppa Italia final, which is quite unusual.
This makes Gasperini's Europa League final in Dublin all the more difficult to overcome since he is set in his ways and there has always been doubt about his ability to change when it matters most. Leverkusen, under Xabi Alonso, has demonstrated that they are always adapting. For Atalanta, who may have to say goodbye to Gasperini in the summer, this makes the task much more difficult. Even if they lose the Cup final again, Atalanta can always be counted on to respond, to always bounce back, and to always be able to do so because of who they are.
