Gasperini celebrating Atalanta victory, but above all ‘nobody got hurt’ | OneFootball

Gian Piero Gasperini celebrated Atalanta’s 5-0 hammering of Verona, but above all was pleased ‘for the first time in weeks, nobody else got hurt’ in their epic injury crisis.

La Dea have been dealing with a huge injury crisis in recent weeks and had little room for squad rotation during their 1-0 Coppa Italia quarter-final defeat to Bologna or today’s trip to the Stadio Bentegodi.

However, they ran riot with a 5-0 victory thanks to Mateo Retegui bagging four goals, around a lone Ederson addition from the rest of the squad.

“We had the game on the right track in the first half, while in the second we got to introduce some different players and avoid some further injuries,” Gasperini told DAZN after going into the break with a 4-0 advantage.

“Today, for the first time in weeks, nobody else got hurt. That is the most important thing for us.”

Gasperini experimenting with Atalanta squad

VERONA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 08: Mateo Retegui of Atalanta celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal with teammates during the Serie A match between Verona and Atalanta at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on February 08, 2025 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Ademola Lookman is one of those on the treatment table, so Charles De Ketelaere is trying to find his way on the left flank.

“When Lookman is fit, both of them prepare to play on the flank of their weaker foot, but during the course of a match they can swap places. De Ketelaere tends to cut inside more when he’s on the right, whereas on the left he tends to go straight for goal.

“He was decisive in the first half with a hand in the best moves. When he has those movements, the whole team attack improves.”

Gasperini now has to prepare Atalanta for the Champions League play-off, where they visit Belgians Club Brugge on Wednesday evening.

“We love the Champions League and when we get those fixtures, every little physical pain disappears. It’s true that we have not earned as many points recently, but we were so unlucky against Torino and had done really well in the Coppa Italia with Bologna until the late goal.

“Our results recently have not been good, but we were slowed down by injuries, some of them very serious. Even the smaller injuries mean if you are out for two weeks, you miss six games.”

Before this triumph, Gasperini’s men had won only one of their last six Serie A matches and were fresh off the midweek Coppa Italia loss to Bologna.