Atalanta’s difficult run has left Maurizio Sarri with a familiar task: turn an uncomfortable spell into the beginning of a correction. Three straight defeats, against Roma, Cagliari and Juventus, have interrupted the early work of a side still learning its coach’s demands across Serie A and the Conference League.
Seven matches into the campaign, Atalanta have often looked thoughtful rather than decisive. The team has shown glimpses of Sarri’s football, particularly for longer spells in the Cagliari and Juventus matches, but those passages have not yet produced the consistency or results required.
Quick facts
- Atalanta have lost their last three matches against Roma, Cagliari and Juventus.
- The club have played seven fixtures in Serie A and the Conference League combined.
- Sarri gave the players who remained at Zingonia several days off, with work set to resume on Tuesday.
- A 4-2-3-1 was used late against Cagliari and for a more extended phase against Juventus.
- Venezia are the first opponents after the league restart.
The pause offers Sarri a chance to simplify rather than add further layers. Defensive automatisms still need to become more natural, while the greater concern in possession is the lack of attacking freedom and speed around the established front three of Charles De Ketelaere, Gianluca Scamacca and Jonathan Rowe.
Gianluca Gaetano was brought in to operate as the side’s deep playmaker, but suspension disrupted his start and Franck Kessie has since been used in that position. Gaetano is still developing for such a demanding role, while Kessie does not offer the particular profile of distributor Sarri normally seeks at the base of midfield.
That has contributed to slow transitions and circulation that can drift sideways without opening opponents up. Lazar Samardzic has been an interesting experiment as a mezzala, but the Serbian is more naturally a creator moved away from the centre than a midfielder who regularly attacks spaces beyond the ball.
With Ederson still working towards his best physical condition, Kessie has been asked to support progression as well as protect the side. Sarri may therefore see the restart, beginning with Venezia, as the right moment to start in a 4-2-3-1 rather than merely use it as an in-game adjustment.
Ederson and Kessie could form the double pivot, bringing cover and aggression behind a more crowded attacking line. The possible gain would be a more direct route towards goal, with an additional player between the lines to connect midfield and Scamacca.
Samardzic is one candidate for that advanced role. His left foot, passing range and ability to strike from distance could make him a freer playmaker, able to receive in positions that suit his body shape and decision-making rather than being tied to the wider demands of the mezzala role.
Giacomo Raspadori provides a different option. He has scored once from the left but has not consistently created danger or won the individual battles needed from a wide forward. Closer to Scamacca, he could operate less as a classic No. 10 than as a second striker, a position in which he previously prospered at Sassuolo.
Gaetano is another possibility behind the centre-forward, having spent his earlier years playing as an attacking midfielder. His technical quality and vision remain assets, while Mario Pasalic offers Sarri the experience and football intelligence of a player capable of interpreting the role in his own way.
None of those choices removes the need for patience. But Atalanta’s grey start does not have to define the season; it can force a clearer decision from the coach before the next chapter begins.
