“They are the ultimate expression” – Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini on Barcelona

Barcelona take on Atalanta in their final league phase match in the Champions League, knowing that a victory would ensure a top 2 finish in the standings. However, obtaining those three points will not be easy for the Catalans, as their opposition at the Estadi Olimpic have shown themselves to be full of European pedigree over the last couple of years.

The man to thank for that is Gian Piero Gasperini, who has been Atalanta head coach since 2016. The 67-year-old is looking forward to facing Barcelona on Wednesday, as he considered the club incredibly highly, as he told the media in his pre-match press conference (via MD).

“We lacked one of the greats in Europe and I have always considered them the best team. Facing such a big team will allow us to see how competitive we are and see if our way of playing can hurt them. Barcelona is the best of the expression of Spanish football.

“It wasn’t just Messi in the past, it was also the rest. It was an incredible team. But today’s team, Flick’s, is a very good team. He is building it in a different way. Even if the names change, Barcelona always play well and identify very young talents. They are the ultimate expression of Spanish teams, incredible and very young talents always come out.”

Hansi Flick has settled the goalkeeping debate at Barcelona in the last few days, and Gasperini was also asked about it – specifically, he spoke on Wojciech Szczesny, whom he is familiar with from the Pole’s time in Italy with Juventus and AS Roma.

“The goalkeeper is always a special role. (Szczesny) a great goalkeeper. He was at Juventus. He ran over a player (Balde), but the mistake he could have made does not detract from his value. He is a great athlete, with an extraordinary career and is someone who works very well.”