Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini makes Champions League prediction ahead of Arsenal tie

Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini has expressed admiration for Arsenal but insists his team is prepared to pull off another upset.

Gasperini guided Atalanta to the Europa League last season, where they famously knocked out Liverpool.

Now, they face a major challenge in the Champions League against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.

Atalanta are determined to qualify for the knockout stages in the revamped Champions League format.

The 66-year-old veteran coach said: “Atalanta must not think that they are on par with these teams, but Atalanta has always played for just one result and will do so tomorrow too.

“We start with a very tough obstacle, but it will be an opportunity to measure ourselves.

“I don’t know Arteta personally, but as a coach he has all my appreciation, it’s a nice team to watch.

“It’s a team that I really appreciate, it’s very compact and organised, it’s a good example of football, the results speak for them even if they didn’t manage to win the Premier League.

“But we had an excellent run in the Europa League, we won a competition that had been missing for many years.

“The objective now is for us to stay inside, it will be difficult to get into the top eight.

“To stay between ninth and twenty-fourth we have to take points in every match.”

Atalanta are set to participate in the Champions League for the fourth time, having previously competed in three consecutive seasons between 2019 and 2022, where they twice reached the knockout stages.

During each of those campaigns, they faced Premier League opposition, but managed only one win in six matches.

However, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side did produce a memorable 3-0 victory at Anfield, eliminating Liverpool in the Europa League quarter-finals.

The Serie A club, who finished fourth in Italy last season, have struggled at home in recent Champions League matches, securing just one win in their last seven games.

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