Sarri Prepares for Challenging Atalanta Match Against Hapoel
Maurizio Sarri is not dressing this up. Atalanta face Hapoel Tel Aviv on Thursday with their Conference League play-off finely poised after a goalless first leg, and the coach is preparing for a draining, awkward evening rather than a showcase.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, with quotes carried by TuttoMercatoWeb, Sarri underlined the tightrope his team must walk: total conviction, zero arrogance.
“It’ll be a difficult match, we saw that in the first leg, but we have to be convinced we can do it,” he said. “Clearly without becoming presumptuous. We want to play in a European competition. It’ll be tough against a team in great physical condition.”
The stalemate at the New Balance Arena left everything open. Atalanta had more of the ball, Hapoel showed their legs and organisation. Now, on neutral ground in Hungary instead of Israel, the pressure of a season-defining night sits squarely on Sarri’s players.
De Ketelaere back, but only in doses
There is at least one boost. Charles De Ketelaere is available again, though Sarri is weighing every minute he can realistically squeeze out of him.
“He’s trained very little after the small adductor problem,” Sarri admitted. “He did half an hour in the league, his usage will have to be partial. I don’t know whether to start him or bring him on, also because we don’t know how long the match will last.”
That last line betrays the tension. This is a tie that could drag deep into the night, and Sarri knows he cannot burn through his most delicate asset too early.
Scamacca or Krstovic – or both?
Up front, the picture is no clearer. Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Krstovic are locked in what looks like a season-long duel for the No. 9 shirt, and Sarri is in no rush to crown a winner.
“I haven’t decided yet,” he said of his centre-forward choice. “They’re doing well and both seem to be improving. Over the season they’ll alternate based on who is in better shape, then we’ll also play them together.”
That last option is a tantalising one for a game like this. If the deadlock holds and nerves start to fray, Sarri has already hinted he is ready to throw both strikers on and force the issue.
Respect for Hapoel’s edge
If anyone in Bergamo is underestimating Hapoel Tel Aviv, Sarri is not among them. Elyaniv Barda’s side have already knocked out Ludogorets and GKS Katowice to reach this stage, and their identity is clear in the coach’s mind.
“They gather well and then break well,” Sarri said. “I don’t think they’ll change their attitude much, we’ll see.”
Compact, explosive, and physically sharp: Hapoel have built their summer around this qualifying run. Atalanta, by contrast, are still layering Sarri’s ideas onto a group that has been reshaped and reprogrammed.
Defence still learning the Sarri code
That is where the coach’s bluntest assessment arrived. Asked about how his defenders are absorbing his demands, Sarri did not sugarcoat the situation.
“It’s still lacking, there’s no point saying otherwise today,” he said. “The most difficult moment will be when they think they know how to do certain things and instead they still aren’t able to.”
It is a classic Sarri warning shot: the system only works when every movement is automatic, when the back line reads the game in the same language as the coach. Atalanta are not there yet, and Hapoel’s quick counters will test every hesitation.
The tie is level, the venue is neutral, the stakes are anything but. For Sarri and Atalanta, this is not just about 90 minutes in Hungary. It is an early verdict on whether this new project is ready to live with the demands of European football or still learning its alphabet under the harshest lights.
