Facing a team like Real Madrid, known for their incredible technical skill, was always going to be a challenging task for Atalanta. As expected, the Italian side fell to the Galacticos in the UEFA Super Cup final. However, they did so with their heads held high, displaying impressive control at times during the match.
Coach Gian Piero Gasperini expressed his belief that Atalanta could compete with the Spanish giants, saying, “I was quite confident we could put them under pressure and play a good match.” He pointed out that the game shifted significantly after Real Madrid scored, particularly with the second goal, which he considered avoidable. Atalanta began strong, creating key chances early on, including a significant opportunity for Ademola Lookman and a save from Thibaut Courtois on Mario Pasalic’s shot. Gasperini noted the difficulty of chasing the game against such a strong opponent, admitting, “It’s hard to come back in these matches, especially when you risk exposing yourself too much.”
Despite the loss, Gasperini felt a mixture of pride and disappointment. “We missed a great opportunity, and that disappoints me greatly because there were chances to take the lead. We need to be more ruthless.” He added, “I’m very proud, but there’s always just a little something missing. We managed to take that step in Dublin, and today we could have done it again. I feel bad for the lads because it was a rare chance.”
Gasperini also reflected on his strong relationship with Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, mentioning that they only discussed football after the match. Looking ahead, Atalanta will need to regroup as Serie A resumes. “We’ll take something positive from this game, and starting Monday, our league campaign begins again, which is a different story. We will also need to assess our squad, as Kolasinac had to exit the match.”