Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini has expressed his excitement at the prospect of experiencing a ‘real’ atmosphere at Anfield when his team take on Liverpool in the Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday night.
Gasperini and his team last faced Jurgen Klopp’s side in the Champions League group stages in 2020 at a time when supporters were not permitted to attend matches due to COVID-19 regulations.
Atalanta went home with a 2-0 victory the last time they visited Anfield, but were beaten 5-0 by Liverpool in Bergamo a few weeks prior.
Now, La Dea have a chance to experience the famed Anfield atmosphere in full when they take on Klopp’s men in the first of their two-legged quarter-final.
Gasperini’s pre-match thoughts
“It’s always a thrill to come here, to one of the most beautiful stadiums in Europe. Last time there was no crowd and it was a disappointment, now we get to see the real Anfield,” Gasperini said in a pre-match interview with Sky Sport Italia, reported via TMW.
“We’ve had two defeats, which have cancelled out our victory over Napoli just over a week ago. We will play this game trying to make up for the defeat against Cagliari, which was tough to take because of the goal going in in the final few minutes.”
Discussing the threat that Liverpool pose, Gasperini said: “We are playing against one of the top teams in the Premier League and against a team with a great model for football with their intensity and the way that they play. We will have to do our best to make a good impression. The teams have changed a lot over the last four years.”
Replying to reporters asking how one prepares for a game of this magnitude, the coach responded: “You play so much that you don’t get the time to truly celebrate a victory, then you might get a defeat immediately afterwards.
“Moods can change quickly, but this is the strength of playing in lots of different competitions. Don’t celebrate too much when you win, and don’t get too disappointed when you lose.”
Then, when asked whether Liverpool could be distracted by their ongoing race for the Premier League title, Gasperini replied: “Not in the slightest, they are never distracted.
“Even if they change a few things, they always play with continuity and lots of attention, as well as intensity. Their rhythm is always the same.”