Team Focus: Atalanta

Atalanta's season started with a bang; promoted from Serie B, they knew that safety was their only goal. However, on the 9th of August the club was given a 6-point penalty, compromising all of their plans for the season to come. The potential safety mark was virtually upped from 40 to 46 points and coach Colantuono had to think about a different attacking solution without Doni, who incurred a 42-month ban.

The coach shaped a 4-4-1-1 and entrusted Maxi Moralez with the trequartista role just behind Denis. The 4-man midfield was, from right to left: Schelotto, Cigarini, Padoin and Bonaventura. The latter had just turned 22 when the league started, so Colantuono rotated him and Brighi, occasionally moving Padoin out to the left flank. Carmona was the sixth man, and proved to be very useful in Brighi’s absence.

Atalanta reached the halfway mark of the season with 26 points (20 applying penalization) and sat 8th in Serie A, just behind Napoli. German Denis had scored 12 in 19 matches, leading the team to a safe position, 5 points above the relegation zone. However, the Argentinian striker didn't do it all by himself.

The Bergamasca proved to be a very organized side, with a neat attacking system and a bunch of players devoted to the "team" ethos. Up to this point, Atalanta have conceded 34 goals in 32 matches so far, with the 4th best defence in the league. Their defensive strength has been in keeping their opponents as far from the goal as possible, as only 46% of the shots they have conceded have come from inside the box - just like Juventus. As they are also one of the teams that play most of their football in their own half, it means that the distance between midfield and defence is always kept very short.

During the winter, the Nerazzurri lost a couple of players from their starting XI: Padoin moved to Juventus, an achievement that indicated just how good his season had been, and Masiello was involved in the current betting investigation (for his 2010/2011 season in Bari).

In January, Atalanta faced their worst section of the fixture list and started dropping points. Therefore, Colantuono re-shaped his line-up to a 4-4-2, with Maxi Moralez on the left side (replacing Padoin) and Marilungo supporting Denis, with Gabbiadini also getting more chances up front. Raimondi took Masiello's spot at right-back and the coach started to apply methodical rotation in defence, always sticking with Peluso on the left side.

After collecting only 3 points in 5 matches from the start of the year, and facing a little crisis in form from Denis, Atalanta had to rely on their defence to seize a point against Lecce and Novara. The turning point in their season, however, were a couple of victories in February, as they won against Genoa and then wiped Roma away with a stunning 4-1, including a hat-trick from Denis.

So, while the striker has clearly been the key finisher in most of Atalanta’s attacks, the side have proven to be very efficient at both ends, managing to score 37 in 32 match despite attempting just 10.8 shots per game (19th in the league, only ahead of Siena). Apart from Denis' clinical skills, the Nerazzurri have managed to score that much by creating easy shots for their strikers.

Atalanta’s play, more than the majority of clubs, is focused in their own half and therefore they must be pretty strong when counter-attacking: 8 of their goals have come from fast breaks - more than any other side so far. Only 43% of their attempts have come from outside the box, making Atalanta the team that shoot the least from distance in the league. In comparison, 7% of their shots have come from inside the 6-yard box (3rd in the league), meaning easier chances to convert for the forwards. The largest proportion of their attacks have come along the flanks (73%), especially from the right (40%).

In summary, these numbers suggests that coach Colantuono has created a perfectly balanced team, able to play in their own half but at the same time concede very few shots from inside their own box. It is a team capable of using the whole width of the pitch to spring a counter-attack and serve their finishers with the simplest possible chance to score.

If the claim that the American Dream is the opportunity to start afresh, build something of your own and have your efforts rewarded, what has happened in Bergamo may be known as the Italian Dream: Creating something beautiful from a tough situation, as Italy did in 2006 after the match-fixing scandal, or as Reggina did the following season (securing safety with an 11-point penalization). Now Atalanta only need a few points to join this exclusive club.