Atalanta midfielder Mario Pasalic insists that Atalanta are not overly fussed by the atmosphere that awaits them at the Stade Velodrome when they play Marseille in the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday night.
The Croatia internationals believes that the excitement and tension within the ground is nothing the Atalanta players haven’t already encountered at various stages of their careers, but still implored his teammates to keep their focus on the night.
“I don’t expect anything in particular, we are used to playing in similar atmospheres, but it still gives us a lot of motivation.
“We need to separate ourselves from the commotion, it’s what happens on the pitch that counts,” Pasalic said, speaking alongside coach Gian Piero Gasperini during his pre-match press conference on Friday night, reported via TMW.
“We’ve already played two Coppa Italia finals in recent years, it would be nice to reach a Europa League final as well, that would be a truly historic achievement.”
Pasalic on the importance of Marseille meeting
Atalanta qualified for the semis after defeating Liverpool in impressive fashion over two legs of the quarters. And despite scoring at Anfield, Pasalic insists that Marseille will be one of, if not the biggest club game since his arrival in 2020.
“I have played lots of big games for the national team, but this is one of the most important games I’ve played with Atalanta. We know what we have to do tomorrow.
“We are a strong team because we all defend together, we know what to do in certain moments. We prepare well for every game, tomorrow it will be the same.
Journalists then asked about the individual goalscoring charts for 2024-25. Pasalic hit 13 in Serie A during 2021-22, but has registered five league goals in each of the last two campaigns, but again, that is something that doesn’t bother him much.
“I don’t look at the individual stuff much, it’s never on my mind, the objectives are for the team. If I get a goal, then even better.
“I’ve played in a lot of different positions over the years with Atalanta, and that’s made me a flexible player. I have improved a lot, I am always ready to adapt.
Circling back to his opening remarks, Pasalic concluded his press conference by shutting down any notion hat Atalanta could be intimidated by Marseille’s home atmosphere.
“I’ve played here with Monaco, I remember the Velodrome having a great atmosphere, but what matters to us is what we have to do on the pitch, we have to keep our minds away from what’s going on around us.”
Kick-off on Thursday night is scheduled for 20.00 BST.