High Stakes in Rome

Atalanta travels to Rome to face Lazio in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday evening. The match, kicking off at 20:00 GMT (21:00 CET) at the Stadio Olimpico, is seen as a critical juncture for both clubs, potentially influencing their European aspirations.

The return leg is scheduled for Bergamo on April 21 or 22. The winner will advance to the final to face either Inter or Como.

Percassi Urges Peak Performance

Luca Percassi, Vice Chairman of Atalanta, stressed the importance of delivering their best performance against Lazio. Last Wednesday was a unique match in our history, but Serie A immediately showed us how delicate every game is, so tonight Atalanta will have to be the best version of ourselves to seek a good result.” he told Sport Mediaset. We also realise This represents only the first half and the tie will be decided in the second leg.”

This comes after a recent 2-1 defeat to Sassuolo following their impressive 4-1 comeback victory against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

A Remarkable Turnaround

Atalanta’s resurgence under Raffaele Palladino has been noteworthy. The club is currently competing in three major competitions: the Champions League, Serie A, and the Coppa Italia. They are the only remaining Italian team in the Champions League and are pushing for a top-four finish in Serie A.

Percassi acknowledged the impact of the managerial change, stating, Let’s say that after a change with the same coach for nine years, it was natural there might be difficulties. I can only thank Ivan Juric, who also had problems like missing players such as Scamacca, Scalvini, Ederson, and more.” He further added, There are moments when you have to make decisions that you wouldn’t aim for to make, Palladino and his staff brought a new wave of enthusiasm, the players responded very well to his approach.”

Squad Update

Atalanta will be without Ederson, Charles De Ketelaere, and Giacomo Raspadori for the match against Lazio. The club hopes to have some of these players return in time for their Champions League Round of 16 clash against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Looking Ahead

Percassi concluded by emphasizing the team’s focus and determination. We are very proud to be here today, but also recognize that we are in the thick of three competitions where we cannot afford to think we’ve achieved anything. We’re happy to be here, but we know there is a long road ahead of us.”