Atalanta: Maurizio Sarri Gets Off to a Slow Start—0-0 Against Hapoel Tel Aviv

Atalanta came away empty-handed in its Conference League debut and, more importantly, in its very first match with Maurizio Sarri at the helm. In Bergamo, a tough match against Hapoel Tel Aviv ended 0-0; Hapoel didn’t take too many risks in the first half (and in fact created the clearest scoring chance) and held off the home team’s numerous attacks in the second half. The decisive match will be the second leg, scheduled for next week in Hungary rather than in the Israeli city.

There are certainly challenges in getting Sarri’s preferred 4-3-3 formation up to speed—a brand-new setup for Atalanta, which had been accustomed to playing with a three-man defense from 2016 until this past summer. Adding to these problems is a stroke of bad luck, as Scalvini was forced to leave the game after just 26 minutes due to a sprained left ankle (there shouldn’t be any serious consequences for him). Just a few minutes earlier, Carnesecchi had denied Boateng the opening goal with a quick reflex save, after Kossounou—left unmarked precisely because of his defensive partner’s struggles—had chased him in vain into the center of the box. The Nerazzurri were dangerous only on a long-range volley by Zalewski—blocked at the last moment—a nice shot by Scamacca at the near post, and a touch by Raspadori in a scramble that lacked real threat.

The situation improved in the second half, despite some initial difficulties with ball movement on Atalanta’s part (a miscommunication between Gaetano and Kristensen nearly led to a Hapoel counterattack). After a scare created by Alkoukin for the visitors, Krstovic and then Pasalic breathed new life into Dea: in particular, the Montenegrin tried his luck with a low shot that went wide, then narrowly missed the target off a generous pass from Raspadori, and finally forced Tzur into a tough save with a header. The Israeli goalkeeper was also perfect in stopping the usual Raspadori’s tap-in attempt. Some good news in a situation that is certainly far from ideal for Sarri, who will have everything riding on the second leg. There, in the previous two rounds, the opponents have yet to slip up—even when playing away from Tel Aviv.

The choice of the Hungarian venue for the second leg is neither random nor surprising: UEFA has banned international soccer matches from being played in Israel due to the ongoing geopolitical situation, and the DTKV Stadion in Miskolc has already become the designated neutral venue for Hapoel Tel Aviv in this European campaign. The Israelis had already played there in the previous two rounds, first defeating the Bulgarian side Ludogorets (2-0 in Hungary, 2-2 in Razgrad) and then the Polish side GKS Katowice (2-0 again in Miskolc, before losing 2-1 in Poland). It’s therefore anything but a hostile environment for Barda’s men, who have yet to lose a game in Hungary.

Complicating matters further for Sarri is the defensive crisis plaguing the Bergamo club. In addition to Scalvini’s injury, Atalanta must contend with the prolonged absence of Isak Hien—who isn’t expected to return until October—and the summer departure of Berat Djimsiti, who was sold to Al-Diriyah for approximately 3 million euros after nine seasons and 334 appearances in the Nerazzurri jersey. This situation has prompted sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli to urgently work the transfer market: Sarri’s top choice to bolster the backline remains Alessio Romagnoli, whom the Tuscan coach knows well from his time at Lazio and would gladly welcome back. However, even if signed at the last minute, he would not be eligible to play in the next Conference League match.

On the offensive front, Scamacca’s performance confirms the expectations placed on the Azzurri striker for this season: according to projections generated by artificial intelligence consulted on the eve of the season, the Atalanta striker is the most credible candidate for the title of top Italian scorer in Serie A 2026–2027, thanks to his role as the team’s penalty taker and a squad built to create play and scoring chances, with top-tier playmakers like Samardzic and De Ketelaere at his disposal. Performances like the one on Thursday night—even without a goal—confirm that Sarri’s tactical plan revolves around him.