Old Juve
Fansided

Assessing the 2021/22 Serie A title contenders

By James Cormack

NAPLES, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 11: Kalidou Koulibaly and Giovanni Di Lorenzo of SSC Napoli and Manuel Locatelli of Juventus FC in action during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on September 11, 2021 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)
NAPLES, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 11: Kalidou Koulibaly and Giovanni Di Lorenzo of SSC Napoli and Manuel Locatelli of Juventus FC in action during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on September 11, 2021 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 7
Next

The fading entertainers – Atalanta

Atalanta have scored just ten goals from their opening seven games amid their disappointing start to the season. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
Atalanta have scored just ten goals from their opening seven games amid their disappointing start to the season. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images) /

League position after Matchday 7: 8th (11pts)

Top scorer: Duvan Zapata (three goals)

Early star: Duvan Zapata

Key man in title charge: Ruslan Malinovskyi

Finally, it seems that Atalanta are feeling the effects of Papu Gomez’s fallout with Gian Piero Gasperini.

The diminutive Argentine was the fulcrum of the Atalanta side that wowed the masses with their innovative style and relentless attacking thrust in the 2019/20 campaign amid their remarkable progression into the Champions League quarter-finals. The likes of Matteo Pessina and Ruslan Malinovskyi had mitigated Papu’s departure, but they seem to be missing a spark this time around.

There’s a distinct malaise lingering around Bergamo, and this analysis depicts their decreased efficiency to start the 2021/22 season. Have things gone stale under Gasperini? La Dea have won just three of their opening seven games, scoring a mere ten goals in the process! That’s a significant drop off for a side that hit 98 and 90-goal hauls in the past two seasons.

We’re starting to see a more pragmatic Gasperini as he attempts to cope with the departures of Gomez, Cristian Romeo et al, and it might take some time before we see this Atalanta side purr again. It’s a mini transitional period.

Home/Serie A