Atalanta ‘need performance on same level’ as Champions League

Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi wants to see ‘a performance on the same level’ as in the Champions League, as they try to make up for lost Serie A ground against Fiorentina.

It kicks off at the New Balance Arena at 17.00 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Pisa-Inter and Roma-Napoli on the Liveblog.

This is a doubly special occasion for coach Raffaele Palladino, because it is his first home match on the Atalanta bench following a defeat at Napoli and 3-0 Champions League victory away to Eintracht Frankfurt.

He also gets to face his former club, having left Fiorentina last summer by mutual consent just one year into his contract.

“We need a strong performance, one on the same level as Wednesday,” Percassi told Sky Sport Italia.

“Palladino was appointed because we admired the simplicity of his approach.”

Under Ivan Juric first and then Palladino, Atalanta have had a very strange campaign, as they have only 13 points in Serie A and are without a win since September, yet are doing very well in the Champions League.

“Evidently, we must do more in Serie A. There was also a bit of bad luck, but these are the points we have, and we need to earn them on the field of play,” noted Percassi.

Palladino is evidently hoping to replicate the Frankfurt performance, fielding the same starting XI.

Is the priority right now to climb up the Serie A table or try to finish in the top eight of the Champions League and go directly to the Round of 16?

“Both would be remarkable achievements. We certainly need to make up lost ground in Serie A, and that the points we have in the Champions League are a good tally, but we’ve got to take it one game at a time.”