Here is what coach Thiago Motta had to say about the 13th league match:
"In the past week, we had the chance to recover players who have been out of the group for a long time. I'm proud of the players who have been called up by their respective national teams, today they have all returned to the group and are in good physical condition.
Surely after a win, you work better, it's the goal for which we work every day and for which we try to give our best with commitment and humility. We have important games to face, we need serenity and confidence, I'm happy for the good moment and for having more players available.
Regarding Hristov's situation, there's a possibility that he could play with the team. He trained with the group for a while this week, today he's back in the ranks and after tomorrow morning's training I'll decide what to do, but I'm positive because he's a guy who has always shown great professionalism and a huge desire to play. Tomorrow we'll see if he'll be ready. If not, we have other players available, like Kiwior, who has just returned from the national team and played two good games: as always we'll try to make the best choice.
Atalanta is a great team that has shown not only at national but also at an international level that it is able to withstand important matches, as we saw against Manchester United or PSG, against which Gasperini's boys played on equal terms, trying to be offensive and win the game. We will face this match as always, with great respect for the opponent and trying to do our best with professionalism, commitment, and humility.
What do I expect from coaches like Gasperini and Mihajlovic? The strength and personality that they manage to transmit to their teams. I congratulate him on his work and he deserves everything he's earned over the years. He's a passionate person who loves what he does. I don't know Mihajlovic personally, but he was a great player and he became a great coach, and the tenacity with which he faced what happened in his private sphere, he managed to transmit it to his team. It's not going to be easy with two coaches of this caliber, but as always we will try to do our best.
We've played a lot of good games despite the fact that the result hasn't always reflected what we've seen on the pitch, so I wouldn't talk about the team's discontinuity. Sometimes we lacked aggressiveness and dangerousness in the box and this is what penalized us in several challenges in which, after creating many situations, we were not able to score and bring home points.
Agudelo is feeling better, but he won't be with the group on Saturday and we will try to get him back to 100% for next week. Sher is coming back from a bone fracture, it was a delicate situation that we have to pay a lot of attention to, especially with regards to contrasts. Both he and Reca are back with the group and tomorrow we'll decide if they'll leave with us for Bergamo or if it will be better to preserve them.
The banner we saw in the stands during the Torino game was incredible. I thank the fans who put it up. I'm happy because after the emotion of the banner I saw the team play an excellent game and deserve a great victory: they are the protagonists of this sport and we hope to continue to rejoice in this way.
According to my vision of football, midfielders are the most versatile in terms of game situations, they are used to understanding and reading both the offensive and defensive phases because it is their job to play both. That's why I think a fuller midfield can give the team more balance and stability. Sala is an example of this ability to read situations and phases of the game, he has the intelligence to understand when it is time to attack and when to defend, I think he is an important piece for the group."
(Photo LaPresse)
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Source: legaseriea.it