Gasperini wary of Arsenal ahead of Champions League opener

Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledges Thursday’s Champions League meeting with Arsenal will be a difficult challenge for his Atalanta side following a mixed start to their Serie A campaign.

Atalanta sit eighth in the Italian top flight with two wins and two defeats from their first four games of 2024-25, having beaten Fiorentina 3-2 in a thriller on Sunday.

La Dea twice trailed to goals from Lucas Martinez Quarta and Moise Kean, only to fight back for victory with Mateo Retegui, Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman scoring.

Gasperini led Atalanta to Europa League glory last season, and they are preparing to step up to the revamped Champions League, with Arsenal the visitors for their first league-phase match next week.

Gasperini knows the Gunners will provide a huge test, telling DAZN: “It’s not just their aerial power, it’s the way they run and move the ball. They have fantastic dynamism.

“Arsenal are a great reference point in England, they dominated the Premier League last season along with Manchester City and Liverpool.

“We have never played against them and I think they will be a big test for us because of their intensity, quality and pace.

“We’re not used to teams with those characteristics, this could be a problem for us.”

4 – Mateo #Retegui is the 3rd player in the three points for a win era (since 1994/95) to score at least four goals in his first four games with Atalanta in #SerieA after Franck Kessie in 2016 and Filippo Inzaghi in 1996. Impact.#AtaFio pic.twitter.com/tNhXnKasOl

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) September 15, 2024

Gasperini also expressed frustration with the recent international break, noting that it had complicated efforts to prepare the team for their European campaign.

“Having the break for international duty was not helpful, as so many of them left again straight away,” he said.

“I think first of all this team needs to find solidity, get those mechanisms running smoothly.”