Hoeness hails ‘special’ Atalanta ahead of Stuttgart battle | OneFootball

VfB Stuttgart beat Juventus already in the Champions League, but Sebastian Hoeness warned tomorrow’s opponents Atalanta have a ‘very special style’ that stands them out in Europe.

It kicks off at the MHPArena in Stuttgart on Wednesday at 20.00 GMT.

The Germans caused an upset in Matchday 3 when they surprised Juve with a 1-0 victory at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin.

Nonetheless, La Dea have earned their own reputation as something of a loose cannon in the European football scene, especially after winning the Europa League by crushing Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Final.

“Atalanta have an experienced team that has seen it all,” said Stuttgart coach Hoeness in a press conference.

“We are looking forward to competing with such a big European team and we want to prove that we can keep up.”

Atalanta tough customers for Stuttgart

BERGAMO, ITALY – OCTOBER 26: Gian Piero Gasperini, Head Coach of Atalanta, looks on prior to the Serie A match between Atalanta and Verona at Gewiss Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Pep Guardiola famously said that facing Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta was ‘like going to the dentist’ and it’s a description that Hoeness can agree with.

“I have the greatest respect for my fellow coaches and only want to praise them. Atalanta have a very special style of play, they use man-to-man marking which can cause real problems for their opponents.

“They have an attacking tactical structure that you don’t often see. The defenders and midfielders push forward to join the attack. They’ve been playing this way for many years and they beat Leverkusen in the Europa League Final, that gives you an idea of the opponent we are facing tomorrow.

“Atalanta do not play the same style as Juventus, but they have players like Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere who can make the difference at any moment. They also have a lot of mental strength.”

La Dea are suddenly in the thick of the Scudetto race after a 3-0 victory away to leaders Napoli on Sunday, which was their fifth consecutive Serie A win.

However, in the Champions League they were held to 0-0 home draws by Arsenal and Celtic, dominating the latter match without being able to find the breakthrough.