First Leverkusen Loss in the Season - Atalanta triumphs over the unbeaten squad
"We were prepared for one-on-one battles across the field. Their first goal gave them a tremendous boost. We faced certain problems. It's painful, but we deserve it. We must accept it," remarked Bayer's coach Xabi Alonso (42) following the final in Dublin.
However, how did the Italians manage to overcome the team that had been undefeated thus far this season?
It was widely known that Atalanta, led by coach Gian Piero Gasperini (66) in the Italian Serie A league, had been playing the best and most run-intensive soccer for years. Gasperini isn't a fan of "catenaccio," the wall soccer that used to be so feared.
Their motto is, "Defending is what makes you invincible, but you need to attack to win." They executed it brilliantly - five opportunities, three spectacular goals by Ademola Lookman.
What the Bergamasques did superbly against Leverkusen is something 1. FC Kaiserslautern ought to ponder over if the lower division team seeks a remote chance against the German champions in the DFB Cup final in Berlin on Saturday.
The deciding factors for Atalanta's success were not possession (Bayer had 67%), the passing rate (Bayer managed 585 of 680 balls to their teammates as opposed to 243 of 330 by Bergamo), or the distance covered (Leverkusen lagged slightly behind with 122.7 kilometers compared to 122.3 kilometers).
Here are the variables at play: Atalanta severely restricted Leverkusen's deep runs and short passing game.
High and aggressive pressing made it almost impossible for Alonso's team to play from the back as they typically do. As a result, Leverkusen had to resort to numerous long balls, which were almost always intercepted.
A telling statistic is this: Atalanta won 57 balls - 10 more than Bayer.
The physical (but never unfair) style of play disrupted Leverkusen's creative players, whose error rate was higher than usual.
Consequently, Bayer, who started without a genuine striker, had only one chance to score. And: Atalanta successfully executed their tactical masterplan against Leverkusen up until the last minute. Consequently, Leverkusen had no opportunity to get back into the game.
This is what sets the Italians apart from all other opponents in their 51 previous unbeaten matches!
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Source: symclub.org