Juric: ‘Atalanta must be more clinical, Slavia will be difficult’

Atalanta coach Ivan Juric called for greater ruthlessness in the final third as his side prepare for their third Champions League match, hosting Slavia Prague in Bergamo on Wednesday night.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Juric said he is encouraged by the team’s performances but wants more cutting edge, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

When asked about selection choices, Juric pushed Daniel Maldini to take a step forward:

“We’ll see. Maldini must give something more to raise his status. He works hard and does everything, but he can do more.”

Juric also highlighted Atalanta’s recent defensive stability, noting that only the match in Paris caused real problems:

“Apart from that game, we’ve conceded little. I really like how the team is defending and taking shape.”

On Ademola Lookman, who has been used as a central striker at times, Juric said:

“He performed well even as a striker, but of course he gives more in his original role. He has become a much more complete player than he was in the Premier League.”

The coach expects a complex challenge against Slavia:

“They interpret matches very well. Even against Inter, despite absences, they changed approach and performed at a high level. It will be a difficult team to face.”

Juric added that recent returns from injury, including Kolasinac, Kossounou, Bellanova and Zalewski, will be important, while Scamacca still needs time to reach peak condition.