Atalanta manager Raffaele Palladino stands by tactics after Bayern Munich disaster
Atalanta manager Raffaele Palladino has come under heavy criticism for his side’s performance against Bayern Munich, but he is standing by his decision.
Some managers see a side like Bayern Munich and try to change their style of play, defending until the death while looking to stay alive for 180 minutes against the German giants. Others face them head on. Raffaele Palladino found out last nighwhat a costly decision that can be, but the Italian manager doesn’t regret the tactics used in the first leg of the round of 16 match.
No bus parked in Bergamo
It was an obliteration from start to finish at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo. The only Italian side remaining in the Champions League were ripped to shreds by Bayern Munich and left essentially no chance for a miracle comeback in the second leg. Bayern has been an unstoppable force of late, and Atalanta were their latest victims.
Atalanta found themselves trailing 3-0 before the half hour mark in the first half, looking to control the midfield but leaving space for Bayern Munich’s most dangerous attackers to make runs behind the back line and create chances, which they turned into goals. The former Monza manager says he wouldn’t change the way his side came out and played Munich, stating this is going to be a learning opportunity against one of the top sides on the continent.
“This defeat is an experience for us, and I would play it like this again, because this is our mentality if we want to progress in all competitions,” the coach explained after the 6-1 defeat on Tuesday. When asked if a more defensive strategy would have been a better option against a potent attacking side like Bayern, Palladino was clear.
Palladino proud, ready to build on loss
“We expected difficulties due to the values on the pitch. We accept their qualities and their strength. We got here because we had this mentality and this DNA, and we won’t change it,” he stated. “We won’t start playing zonal defense. I’m of this opinion, and we’ll accept the result. Either we win or we learn.”
Results like the one Atalanta suffered might be emotionally and mentally damaging, but Palladino assured that his side will be able to the past go and focus on the challenges to come. Looking ahead to the weekend match against Serie A leaders, Inter Milan, Palladino said, “Repercussions? No, we’ve always fought back. We already know on Saturday, despite Inter’s strength, we’ll fight back. We have to keep our heads up. We faced a strong team, with Luis Diaz and Olise; they’re formidable and destined to go all the way. I’m still proud of my players.”
The Bergamo side’s Champions chances are slim to none after the drubbing, and now could be the time to start looking to make a push up the Serie A standings. They currently sit seventh in Italy, five points behind Como and Roma who are in fourth and fifth in Serie A, respectively. This weekend’s match against Inter will show us just how much they learned during the Bayern match.
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