Gasperini: Atalanta ‘lucky’ against Udinese, Djimsiti injury blow | OneFootball

Gian Piero Gasperini admits Atalanta were ‘lucky’ to get away with a 0-0 draw at Udinese, while Berat Djimsiti needed ten stitches following a head injury.

Lea Dea collected their second consecutive draw in Serie A but could have lost the game as Alexis Sanchez hit the woodwork twice in a matter of seconds in the first half.

“We faced a team that ran more than us,” Gasperini told DAZN via TMW.

“We were lucky when Sanchez had those two massive chances. We surely did better in the second half, which is a good point for us, given our performance.”

Gasperini: Atalanta ‘lucky’, Djimsiti likely unavailable against Juventus

epa11818676 Udinese’s Alexis Sanchez (R) and Atalanta’s Berat Djimsiti in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match Udinese Calcio vs Atalanta BC in Udine, Italy, 11 January 2025. EPA-EFE/Gabriele Menis

Gianluca Scamacca and Mateo Retegui were injured today while the injured Djimsiti will likely miss the next game against Juventus after sustaining a head injury.

“I am satisfied with the sacrifice from Lookman and De Ketelaere. They tried to give their best, also defensively,” said Gasp.

“There’s nothing I can say regarding the commitment. We faced a physical team that caused trouble for us.

“Of course, absentees can have an impact, but we didn’t cope with their physicality. When you don’t recover the ball, you can’t generate the play. Only a few coped with the game’s intensity” continued the Atalanta coach.

“It wasn’t easy as we met a physically superior opponent. The workloads are an excuse I won’t use. It’s never the right moment to face Juventus and Napoli. We lost Djimsiti today. These things happen. Let’s see if Retegui and Cuadrado can recover.

“He has a bad-cut eyebrow, which requires 10 stitches. He also has a headache now. The injury is not too serious, but it will be difficult to see him on Tuesday.”

Atalanta will face the Bianconeri at home on Tuesday before hosting Napoli in Bergamo on January 18.