Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has praised Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini ahead of their highly anticipated Champions League showdown at the Gewiss Stadium, Soccernet.football reports.
The Gunners head into this one, buoyed by a morale-boosting 1-0 victory over fierce North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. They will arrive in Bergamo eager to keep their winning momentum going.
Meanwhile, the Nerazzurri head into proceedings fresh off the back of a 3-2 comeback victory over Fiorentina in the Serie A. However, they will certainly need to punch above their weight when they face the Premier League heavyweights.
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Atalanta earned their spot among Europe’s elite by thrashing Xabi Alonso’s invincible Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final in May, ending their three year absence from the continent’s biggest club football competition.
As for Arteta’s Gunners, they have morphed into one of the best ball-playing teams across Europe in recent years, going toe to toe with Manchester City in the Premier League for the last couple of seasons.
Despite his side appearing to be overwhelming favourites in this one, the Gunners boss isn’t underestimating his Italian counterpart.
“The club has an amazing story, and what Gasperini has done is amazing,” the Gunners boss said in the build-up.
“I have a big admiration for what he has done in his career, not only for Atalanta but for other clubs. He’s a very important figure, and what they achieved last season was incredible, and we’ll see how tomorrow goes!“
Arteta also confessed that he consulted with former Serie A stars about what to expect from the Europa League Champions.
“I spoke with Riccardo [Calafiori] and Jorgi [Jorginho] as they know the team very well, they know the players, and it’s always very important information to get a hold of.
“They’ve played in some great games against this squad during the last few seasons, and they’ve done very well.”
