Atalanta Fail to Win Again as Sarri Cites 14 Absentees and a Stupid Goal

Atalanta had to settle for a share of the points with Kairat Almaty in the Conference League at the Stadio di Bergamo, Thursday (3/10/2025) early morning WIB. Marc Gual's goal had put the hosts behind before Nikola Krstovic equalized. The result extends La Dea's winless run to seven matches across all competitions and deals a heavy blow to their bid to secure a place in the knockout phase.

Coach Maurizio Sarri did not hide his disappointment. He felt his team should have taken all three points had they not conceded through a quick counterattack that he called a 'stupid goal'. However, the 66-year-old also stressed that the draw should still be welcomed given the threadbare state of the squad. "We lost 14 players at once. If you think this week is the moment to revive the season, it feels heavy," Sarri told Sky Sport Italia.

The injury crisis at Atalanta is indeed at an alarming level. Sarri detailed that ten players are currently still undergoing intensive treatment, while four others have been flagged by the medical team not to play more than 30 minutes. The situation forced Sarri to field two defenders from the U-23 team with little Serie A experience, as well as Kamaldeen Sulemana, who has only just recovered from injury since 2 August. "We are playing with a very limited group. This is not an ideal situation, but we have to keep fighting," he added.

The pressure is mounting because Atalanta are also in a congested period. Over the next 23 days, they are scheduled to play eight matches. Sarri admitted that rotation is a nightmare. "We only have the same group, there is no room to breathe. I hope some players can return soon, but for now we have to survive with what we have," he explained.

On the other hand, the result also shows Atalanta's difficulty adapting to Sarri's playing style, which is far removed from the Gian Piero Gasperini era. Throughout the match, La Dea looked slow in ball circulation and struggled to break down Kairat's compact defense. "This is a big transformation, and when we are hit by problems like this, the process becomes much more complicated. No player has ever worked with me before, so this is truly a new challenge," Sarri said.

Nevertheless, Sarri remains optimistic that the chance to qualify is still open. He hopes the ticket to the next round can be secured when the team is more complete. "We will take this point, and hope to secure qualification later when more players are available," he concluded. Atalanta are currently third in Group C with 4 points from three matches, two points behind Ajax at the top of the standings.

The big question ahead: will the Atalanta management move in the winter transfer window to patch up the fragile squad, or keep faith in Sarri's process, which is only a few months old? The answer will determine the direction of La Dea's season.