Atalanta is facing a crisis just days before their UEFA Europa Super League clash with Real Madrid. They suffered a 3-0 defeat to St. Pauli, with Nicolò Zaniolo sidelined due to injury and Mateo Retegui making his debut.
It has been a challenging summer for La Dea, starting with Gianluca Scamacca’s severe anterior cruciate ligament injury that will keep him out for six months. This occurred during a 4-1 loss to Parma, prompting their acquisition of Retegui from Genoa as a replacement.
Adding to their woes, Zaniolo was unable to participate in the Hamburg match due to tendonitis in his left foot, the same foot that was previously fractured, ending his hopes of joining Italy at EURO 2024.
The team showed little resilience, entering halftime level with St. Pauli but collapsing after the break. They conceded three goals in under 25 minutes due to defensive lapses—a set-piece error, a mistake from Isak Hien, and a chaotic response to the third goal.
On a brighter note, Retegui made his debut in the second half, playing for 45 minutes. However, the situation worsened with Teun Koopmeiners missing the trip as he is reportedly pushing for a transfer to Juventus, according to coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
This series of setbacks comes at the worst time as Atalanta prepares for their prestigious UEFA European Super Cup match against Real Madrid in Warsaw on August 14, following their Europa League triumph which earned them this opportunity against the Champions League holders.