GdS: ‘World turned upside down’ – why Atalanta game is a test of steel for Fonseca | OneFootball

AC Milan take on Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium tomorrow night, and it is the home side who are looking for a win to continue their Scudetto charge.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, Atalanta faced Roma on Monday night and a 15-point advantage over them became 18. Tomorrow they welcome Lombardy rivals Milan who are nine points below Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, with a game in hand.

The report speaks of ‘the world turned upside down’ at least when it comes to Atalanta in Serie A. The team from Bergamo have played in the Champions League as much as Milan since Gasperini’s arrival (2016-17), with four participations each.

In terms of titles, the difference is minimal: one Scudetto and one Supercoppa Italiana for Milan; one Europa League for Atalanta. Atalanta have never won a league title, but the Rossoneri have never won the second European trophy.

If we look at today, Atalanta are ahead of Milan both in the league (2nd versus 7th) and in the Champions League standings (5th versus 16th). La Dea have a project that is producing results both in a sporting and economic sense: they spent over €90m in the summer, but still made a profit.

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The common thread of these roaring years for Atalanta is the coach. Gasperini will not emulate Alex Ferguson by remaining at the helm for 27 years as the Scot did at Manchester United, but continuity makes it possible to build what they have.

Tomorrow’s match is unbalanced both in the numbers of the two sides and in the way that play. If the Nerazzurri have fluid game mechanics and an aggressive, entertaining style, Fonseca’s Rossoneri are still riding out the turbulence after some early-season disappointments.

How Milan fare against a complete and in-form Atalanta team will tell us a lot about Fonseca’s work in progress. La Dea will play to overtake Napoli and sit alone in first place, waiting for the league leaders to face Lazio on Sunday. The Diavolo hope to re-establish supremacy in the region.