Matteo Ruggeri regrets the opportunity Atalanta had to take the lead against Real Madrid and says that the UEFA Super Cup “will give us strength” for the future.
It was a forged function of La Dea in Warsaw, especially since they lacked key players such as Gianluca Scamacca, Nicolò Zaniolo, Teun Koopmeiners, Giorgio Scalvini and Rafael Toloi.
They held up well for an hour and almost took the lead when Thibaut Courtois stopped Mario Pasalic’s header on a loop with his fingertip.
It was a turning point, shortly after Federico Valverde scored the first goal, followed by a goal from Kylian Mbappe for the final score 2-0.
“We were unlucky on Pasalic’s chance, or the goalkeeper made a surprising save, but unfortunately individual incidents make the difference in those one-off games,” Ruggeri told Sky Sport Italia.
“They took advantage of their opportunities, with two pace adjustments, they scored two goals. However, I am pleased because we are facing the most productive team in the world at the moment and in fact in recent years we have had to restrict them and create our own opportunities as well.
“When we allow their quality to emerge, they are ruthless. “
One more birthday party for an Atalanta that deserved this opportunity after winning the Europa League in May and qualifying for the Champions League.
After all, before the arrival of Gian Piero Gasperini in 2016, his biggest ambition was simply to avoid relegation to Serie B. Winning a UEFA trophy and challenging the Galacticos is therefore a feat.
“This match has to give us for many reasons, to face all the competitions we will have,” added Ruggeri, a product of the youth academy.
“There will be a lot of games and we want everyone to be ready. “
This article was first published on Football Italy and has been published with permission.
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