Italian Serie A has always been a great league – both because of its entertaining history and its strategic football and devoted fans. Recently, Atalanta BC and Udinese Calcio have managed to become more recognizable at the top of the table. Both possibilities have their individual stories and ways of dealing with the pitch, but games of these two clubs are mostly irreverent, and full of action, and excitement, as they too are vying for the top dirty status in Italy's elite League.
Atalanta: A Club on the Rise
Over the last ten years, Atalanta BC has seen a dizzying change in fortunes in Serie A while based in Bergamo. Thanks to the tenacity of coach Gian Piero Gasperini, the club has evolved from a team comfortably in mid-table to one of the most enthralling teams in the whole of Italy. Free-flowing and attacking football has earned Atalanta the tag of one of the most entertaining teams in Europe. Outrageous attacking talent is what is very special about Atalanta. Gasperini’s tactics focused on high pressing and an all-out offense has often seen the team register the highest goals in the Serie A. They employ the 3-4-3 strategy that has wing-backs and three forwards which makes them dangerous on the counter as well as during the normal play. Players such as Duván Zapata, Luis Muriel, and even Josip Iličić have been significant contributors to this fluid attack. Attacking wise, Atalanta does pose any major threats also. Their front is lethal but their backlines have at times been exposed especially when playing against tactically organized teams. Nevertheless, this style of play is effective most of the times since they aim at outscoring their opponents rather than being defensive. With time, this has changed, and they are now regulars in various European tournaments with several appearances in UEFA Champions League, quite a feat for a team of their
Udinese: A Solid, Consistent Side
Compared to Atalanta, Udinese Calcio which is also situated in Udine has a completely different approach. The club has always been characterized as a solid one, operating predominantly in the background of the elite clubs in Serie A. Italian prime division clubs typically invest heavily in player development and scouting and it is believed Udinese has mastered the two. Has they have to endure that euphoria for many years, Sporting director and team management considered it respectable to run the Udinese sports club quietly, perform their functions diligently and achieve results, as no one was in a rush and wasting resources. With regards to winning the local league, even if Udinese has not been in the limelight as most top clubs, their consistent winning on the other hand has earned them relative respect in the game of football in Italy. Quite recently this has not been the case however as Udinese has average ranking finishing positions in the league each season hovering about the middle of the table and more towards the lower part of the upper table in most competitive seasons. Their game, however, is much more restrained, mainly due to the focus placed on a solid defensive unit and pure results-oriented football – as it can often be the case in the vision of Atalanta. In different periods of time and with different coaches Udinese has mainly used the 4-4-2 or the 3-5-2 formations which were based more on compactness and discipline than on a risk-taking style of play. And this has turned out to be quite effective in breaking down the opposition, especially with the teams that prefer to play possession game. On the other hand, Udinese’s attacking game is relatively conservative, characterized by the most frequent use of counterattacks and set plays. Through the years, the club has been able to generate a lot of gifted players as example Antonio Di Natale the highest scorer in the history of the club, while more recently the likes of Gerard Deulofeu a skillful winger who possessed both creativity and finishing prowess.
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