Atalanta is a great team. They are in the quarter-finals in the UEFA Champions League and in the league, they guarantee for going to the UEFA Champions League next season.
They haven’t world class players but they have a great system so, sooner or later they are doing great things and showing us great things.
Gasperini uses 3-4-1-2 formation. Formation is not too important but for telling I will use these formation.
Actually everything has a basic logic. Protecting 3-4-1-2 shape (or anyway) with movement. Players change positions amongst themselves. Not every player changes positions but the most important rule is movement. And of course these movements have rules.
In the set attack, Gomez’s and Ilicic’s movements are very important. Zapata has great physique. He pulls opponent’s defense players and creates free space to them. Gomez is more free than Ilicic. He goes everywhere and passes his teammates. Ilicic is closer to the forward line than Gomez. He comes to right wing or Zapata’s behind.
If Gomez closes to midfield to take the ball, De Roon or Freuler run to the offensive midfielder position. So, they can use free space in the between opponent’s midfield and defense line. And also Gomez can find enough space to make game.
In this position, opponent is using high pressing. De Roon is coming between stoppers. Gomez is closing to defense line to help De Roon to make game. And Freuler is shifting to left wing and using free space.
De Roon (or Freuler but usually De Roon) comes to defense line in the make game (especially make game in the behind). So, sometimes Djimsiti or Toloi supports attack from wings. Because if they don’t support attack game can be jam. So, they can exploit space De Roon empties. And when they support wing, team has 2 players in the wing.
In this position, Toloi is taking the ball and passing to Hateboer. Then he is running to the opponent’s left wing and De Roon is coming to the defense line to use free space.
Also, because of play with 3 stopper, right and left stoppers can close to wing backs in the set attacks. And when wing backs needs support, they can come to support.
Also, sometimes forwards need support in the counter attack and De Roon or Freuler can’t support attack. So, right or left stopper run for support attack and De Roon or Freuler waits in the defense line.
De Roon and Freuler are a regista. They can’t support attack with dribbling. But they can use free spaces in the midfield and pass to his teammates.
When De Roon comes to defense line to make game wing backs can support attack like a winger. Let’s say De Roon is coming to defense line to make game. In the centre midfielder position only Freuler is staying. Now, in the defense line they have 4 players. And opponent focuses on to Atalanta’s defense line. Gomez is coming to midfield and opponent can’t see him because Gomez is coming from forward, I mean opponent’s forward’s and midfielder’s behind. It means they can’t see him. So, Gomez can find free space and he can take the ball. And when he takes the ball, they have 4 players in the forward line. Wing backs came to wings and Zapata and Ilicic waited in the forward line. So now they have enough space to score goal.
Sometimes opponent’s midfield line can be careful about cover Gomez and Gomez can’t take the ball. In this case, Gomez pulls opponent’s one midfielder and now midfield has more space for Atalanta. Now, they should only use this space. If any stopper is close to midfield, he can use this space and support attack. Sometimes Zapata is close to midfield and take the ball and protect the ball and then passes to his any teammates. I want to say, in this case any player comes to midfield and use this space.
Let’s say Pasalic is playing instead of Zapata. Gomez shifts to centre forward position and Pasalic shifts to offensive midfielder position. Now they haven’t player to protect the ball and create free space for teammates like Zapata. But now they have more movement.
Pasalic’s best abilities are running to the penalty box and movement. He comes to forward, midfield and sometimes wings. He doesn’t play like Gomez. Gomez is a game maker. Pasalic uses free spaces and tries to create free spaces for his teammates. He pulls opponent’s midfield and defense players or shifts his position to find free space.
In the crosses, Zapata and Ilicic comes to the penalty boxes’ centre. Gomez comes to penalty spot and Freuler (sometimes De Roon) run to the Gomez’ beside or back. De Roon waits in the penalty boxes’ behind (little bit right because his normal position is right centre midfielder). 2 wing backs come to forward line so, if cross come to the right wing, Gosens runs to the penalty box from opponent’s defense line’s back. And opponent can’t cover him. Because if one player come to cover him, penalty boxes’ centre have free space for Atalanta.
So, in the crosses, Atalanta’s players have 3 options: cross to the which wing back is in the opponent’s defense line’s back, cross to the Freuler or Gomez with low ball or cross into the penalty box to Zapata and Ilicic.
Every option is good because they have a lot of players into the penalty box and each one of them has great position. If they cross to the other wing back, Zapata or Ilicic (whichever is close to wing back) pulls to the opponent’s full back and create free space for the wing back.
In this position, Hateboer is crossing and Gosens is running into the penalty box and scoring goal. Before the cross, into the penalty box, opponent’s centre and left stopper are covering Zapata. Gosens is in the opponent’s right wing back’s behind. When Gosens is starting to run, opponent’s right wing back is looking to the ball. So he has no idea about Gosens’ run.
If they cross to Zapata or Ilicic, Zapata and Ilicic remain 2 vs. 2 against opponent’s centre backs.
If they cross to Freuler or Gomez, they can shoot with free because they are in the between opponent’s defense and midfield line.
If Castagne plays instead of Gosens, they don’t use left wing for crosses much because Castagne’s dominant foot is his right foot so, he can’t cross with his left foot.
In the set defence, all the players come to their own half side. Sometimes Zapata goes to opponent’s half side for counter attack. Because he can protect the ball and save time for teammates.
In the pressing, they usually don’t press aggressively. They don’t press to opponent’s defense line and goalkeeper. They let the opponent passing in their own half side. But if opponent wants to pass in the midfield, they are pressing aggressively. And they can do it very well because of players’ positioning.
One of stoppers come to midfield for pressing, De Roon and Freuler wait in the central midfield, Gomez, Ilicic and Zapata wait little bit ahead. So, they can take control in the midfield.
If opponent can make game very well and great about set attack (like Manchester City), they press in the opponent’s half side without being too aggressive. But as I said, don’t press to defense line and goalkeeper.
But of course their pressing can change for opponent. If opponent can’t make game very well in the defense and if they want to make game, Atalanta’s players press aggressively to take the ball or force opponent make a mistake.